Deontay Wilder has the kind of late-career opportunity most heavyweights never get twice. A 2026 showdown with Oleksandr Usyk is agreed, approved by the World Boxing Council, and built around the one scenario that still makes Wilder dangerous against an elite technician: the single, division-shifting punch. Now he is prepared to put that entire pathway at risk. The former WBC champion is willing to take a grudge match with Derek Chisora first, and the logic behind it has become increasingly hard to defend when measured against Wilder’s recent form, activity, and margin for error.The Usyk sell was simple: one punch, one night The Usyk angle worked because it was clean and contained. Wilder’s...
