Shelly Finkel, the co-manager of former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, explains that they are potentially going to target the winner of the upcoming rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua. (photo by Ryan Hafey)
Last September, Usyk outboxed Joshua over twelve rounds to capture the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight titles. The rematch is scheduled to take place on August 20 in Saudi Arabia.
Wilder has been out of the ring since suffering a knockout loss back in October, in his trilogy fight with current WBC champion Tyson Fury.
Finkel ruled out the scenario of Wilder coming back against Derek Chisora or Robert Helenius.
"Derek Chisora? He just edged a split-decision over Kubrat Pulev, no way," Finkel exclusively told Planet Sport.
"Maybe the winner of Usyk and Joshua. I don't know what Fury is doing? Maybe if Joshua wins it's a huge fight in the UK [between those two] - there's so many intangibles so we're looking to see what happens in that fight [Usyk and Joshua]."
Fury claims that he's going to retire from the sport, but many expect him to target the winner of Usyk-Joshua.
Finkel admits Fury, should he stick around, would likely land the winner of that rematch.
But if Fury does follow through with retiring, then Finkel believes the door is wide open for Wilder.
"I don't care what Fury says, we're waiting to see what he really wants to do because if he wants to fight the winner then he's going to get it. But after that, where are the top guys? There's only four real top guys in the heavyweights right now - Usyk, Joshua, Fury and Deontay," Finkel said.
"I'm looking at everything and we're going to be making our decision but we're not there (yet). We've gotten several calls, I don't know how real they are from outside of the US and the UK and we're checking those out. Then once if any of those are real, that'll dictate another opponent."
