Deontay Wilder has been offered an immediate title shot after his split decision victory over Derek Chisora at the O2 Arena on Saturday.
Deontay Wilder (45-4-1, 42ko’s) crossed the Atlantic as an underdog last week, but a split decision victory over Derek Chisora (36-14, 24ko’s) has left the Bronze Bomber on the cusp of a title opportunity.
It was a slug fest from round 1 to 12, but the judges favoured the tidier work of Wilder, who threw considerably more punches.
Despite knocking Chisora down on numerous occasions, many still believe this version of Wilder is still ‘a shell of his former self’.
For Chisora it seems to be 50 and out as retirement beckons, but for the man from Alabama, the show will go on.
Anthony Joshua (29-4, 27ko’s) was ringside in Greenwich on Saturday, and talk of a potential clash between the two former world champions has certainly picked up again.
Wilder was reportedly close to finalising a fight with unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 14ko’s) prior to the Chisora fight.
If world championship honours is still on the agenda of the 40 year old, then it seems a fresh pathway has opened itself.
The promoter of WBA regular champion Murat Gassiev (33-2, 26ko’s) Al Siesta has offered Wilder an opportunity to face the Russian.
Al Siesta took to X to say:
“Congratulations to our brother in IBA ‘The Bronze Bomber’ for his victory over the legend Chisora.
“Deontay you are a great champion and it would be our honour for you to compete for Murat Gassiev’s WBA title next. We are ready for anyone.”
Nicknamed as ‘Iron’, Gassiev secured a knockout of the year contending victory last time out against the veteran Kubrat Pulev (32-4, 14ko’s) in Dubai.
Gassiev is a former world champion at cruiserweight and is now widely considered as a hard hitting heavyweight.
Holding the ‘Regular’ title with the WBA means that Gassiev is next in line for a shot at the ‘Super’ belt, held by Oleksandr Usyk.
With the Ukrainian fighting Rico Verhoeven next, could the WBA be vacated to subsequently provide Gassiev and Wilder a shot at two time supremacy?
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