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Oleksandr Usyk has shockingly revealed plans to face Deontay Wilder in 2026, but the American has reason to believe why he is capable of pulling off the upset and halting the Ukrainian mastermind.
Wilder has had a difficult run of late, losing in four of his six outings since 2019 and falling down the pecking order, seemingly out of the frame for a shot at a return to the heavyweight throne.
However, Usyk’s call-out has opened the door for ‘The Bronze Bomber’, who is unranked with three of the four sanctioning bodies but may still be just one victory away from a title challenge.
In a resurfaced interview with Fight Hub TV, Wilder remained confident that he can knock Usyk out, admitting that he ‘loves facing southpaws’ when discussing how he can overcome the unbeaten heavyweight ruler.
“[I will need to use] jabs, using lateral movement and doing what I do best – coming with the right hand. I feel like, if I connect with anyone, with the right hand, it is going to be devastating. It will be a knockout.
So, I would have to strategise to get him, but one thing about it is that he is a southpaw and I love southpaws.
I am always coming to give people what they want to see as a heavyweight and that’s the knockout.”
Wilder was knocked out by the left-handed Zhilei Zhang last year, but has won by knockout in all seven of his other contests against southpaws, including his two arguable career-best triumphs against Luis Ortiz.
