Deontay Wilder Open to Oleksandr Usyk Fight, Co-Manager Says

What happened: Sky News reports that Shelly Finkel, Deontay Wilder's co-manager, has said the former world heavyweight champion would welcome a fight with Oleksandr Usyk. That is the confirmed development: Wilder's side is publicly receptive to the matchup.

Watch the highlights:

What has not changed is just as important. The report does not confirm that a fight has been signed, scheduled, or placed on a specific card. It does not provide terms, a venue, a broadcast arrangement, or a formal announcement from both camps. This is interest from Wilder's side, not a completed heavyweight booking.

Why it matters: Usyk remains one of the central names in the heavyweight division, so any public willingness from Wilder's camp will immediately shape speculation around the top end of the weight class. Wilder is a former world heavyweight champion, and a potential Usyk fight would carry obvious name value even before any competitive details are known.

Tournament impact: Boxing does not move through a league table in the way team sports do, but heavyweight matchmaking still has bracket-like consequences. If Wilder and Usyk were to move beyond interest and into negotiations, it could affect the order in which other heavyweight contenders receive opportunities. Until then, this belongs in the watchlist column rather than the fixture list.

What to watch: The next meaningful signal would be confirmation from Usyk's side, a promoter, a sanctioning body, or an event organizer. A second signal would be concrete language around negotiations rather than broad interest. Fans should also separate the sporting appeal of the matchup from the business reality: major heavyweight fights usually require alignment across timing, money, broadcast rights, and title implications.

Confidence: Confirmed by the source: Finkel said Wilder would welcome a fight with Usyk, and Wilder is a former world heavyweight champion. Still needing follow-up: whether Usyk is interested, whether talks are active, whether any terms exist, and whether the matchup is being targeted for a specific date or event.