REPORT | Former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder to return June 1st in Saudi Arabia

Former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will reportedly be returning to the boxing ring in June.

‘The Bronze Bomber’ is still one of the most high-profile boxers alive today. However, Deontay Wilder has seen better years. Since losing his WBC heavyweight title to Tyson Fury in early 2020, the American has struggled to get back on track. He later lost a trilogy bout to ‘The Gypsy King’ in 2021, losing by 11th-round knockout.

However, Deontay Wilder later rebounded with a victory over Robert Helenius in late 2022. The victory was a major one for the former champion, and it earned him a long-awaited grudge match with Anthony Joshua. All Wilder had to do, was defeat Joseph Parker last December, and he would face ‘AJ’ in March.

Instead, Deontay Wilder was largely dominated by the Aussie last year in Saudi Arabia. As a result, the former champion lost his fight with Joshua, to PFL heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou. ‘The Predator’ wound up being demolished by the British boxer in his second boxing match, losing by knockout.

After Deontay Wilder lost his massive payday against ‘AJ’, some figured he would retire. The former champion was fast approaching his 40s and has lost three of his last four. However, anyone expecting ‘The Bronze Bomber’ to leave boxing that easily was mistaken. According to a recent report from ESPN Ringside’s Mike Coppinger, he will return in June.

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Deontay Wilder expected to return to the boxing ring on June 1st in Saudi Arabia

On June 1st, Deontay Wilder will reportedly travel to Saudi Arabia to face Zhilei Zhang. For those who can remember, these two were linked to a potential bout on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou. Instead, the Chinese boxer wound up meeting the aforementioned Joseph Parker.

‘Big Bang’ entered the bout a heavy favorite, but again, the Australian scored an upset win. With both Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang coming off losses to Parker, it makes a fair bit of sense to put them together. However, the Chinese heavyweight has had far more success in the boxing ring lately.

The two heavyweight contenders are expected to meet on the undercard of Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev. That light-heavyweight collision will unify all the gold at 175 pounds and is considered one of the biggest boxing matches of 2024. Now, they’ve got a perfect co-main, in the form of Deontay Wilder vs. Zhilei Zhang.

It’s worth noting that June 1st is on track to be one of the most packed days in combat sports. Beyond that boxing event in Saudi Arabia, UFC 302, as well as Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz 2, is set to be held on the same night.

What do you make of this boxing news? Who do you have in this heavyweight clash? Deontay Wilder or Zhilei Zhang?