RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – MAY 27: Deontay Wilder poses for a portrait ahead of his Heavyweight fight … More against Zhilei Zhang during the 5v5: Queensberry v Matchroom – Previews on May 27, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
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It’s time. Well, it’s almost time.
Deontay Wilder’s return to the ring is nearly here. The former WBC heavyweight champion will face Tyrrell Herndon on Friday night in Wichita.
The card isn’t stacked. There’s local talent on the card, but this event is being streamed on PPV.com and other outlets because of Wilder.
He’s still the biggest name on the American heavyweight boxing scene, and he still has the kind of night-changing power that will always grab attention. The event begins at 9 pm ET, but Wilder and Herndon aren’t likely to make their walks to the ring in Koch Arena until closer to 11:30pm.
Here’s a look at the main card.
Deontay Wilder (43-4-1) vs. Tyrrell Herndon (24-5-0) – Heavyweight
Deon Nicholson (21-1-0) vs. Devonte Williams (13-1-0) – Light Heavyweight
Gustavo Trujillo (7-0-0) vs. Lateef Kayode (22-5-0) – Heavyweight
Nico Hernandez (11-0-0) vs. Robert Ledesma (3-14-1)
Wilder weighed in at 225 pounds compared to 218 for Herndon. Wilder’s weight is the heaviest he’s weighed in since his back-to-back losses to Tyson Fury in 2020 and 2021. Wilder looks huge in the weigh-in videos.
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Back then, Wilder bulked up in an effort to help him deal with Fury’s size, strength and physicality on the inside. The two men produced three of the most memorable heavyweight fights in the last 25 years, but Wilder didn’t get a victory in any of them.
He dropped Fury a total of four times across their three fights, but Wilder was the one who was stopped in each of the last two meetings.
Wilder is on a two-fight losing streak after losing to Zhilei Zhang via KO in June 2024. After almost exactly a year away, he returns in hopes of climbing back into a position that will allow him to challenge a big name for another major payday or a title.
Herndon, to put it plainly, is just an opponent. At least that’s all he’s supposed to be. However, this is boxing and crazy things happen. For all intent and purpose, Herndon is way out of his depth in this fight and he won Thursday night when he successfully weighed in and earned what is almost certainly the biggest payday of his career.
This kind of get-back-to-it fight isn’t just about brushing off rust. It’s about reestablishing presence. Wilder needs to remind everyone—from the fans to the promoters to the other heavyweights—that he still matters.
A quick knockout would do that. But if Herndon survives for a few rounds, or worse, starts finding success, it’ll raise even more questions about where Wilder really stands right now.
It’s going to be a busy combat sports weekend. Wilder-Herndon kicks things off on Friday. Jake Paul fights Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday night, and that entire card is intriguing. UFC 317 is also on Saturday night with Ilia Topuria facing Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight championship.
Oh and by the way, the WWE is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for Night of Champions. I’ll have multiple monitors on all day.
I’ll be watching and covering the fights. Be on the lookout for live coverage and post-fight analysis.
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