Deontay Wilder, once renowned as one of the most intimidating punchers globally, is gearing up for his upcoming fight against Tyrrell Herndon on Friday, seeking to regain his offensive edge. Wilder, who holds a record of 43-4-1 with 42 knockouts, has struggled recently, losing four of his last five matches. His recent bouts have been particularly concerning, notably a wide decision loss to Joseph Parker where he connected with just 39 of 204 punches, and an even worse performance against Zhilei Zhang, landing only 16 of 95 shots before being knocked out in the fifth round.
Before these setbacks, Wilder was undefeated in his first 43 professional fights, with 41 of those wins by knockout. His only setbacks began with a defeat to Tyson Fury in December 2018, followed by a TKO loss in their February 2020 rematch and a KO loss in their 2021 trilogy fight, ending his reign as the WBC heavyweight champion after ten title defenses.
Tyrrell Herndon, with a 24-5 record and 15 knockouts, appears to be a favorable opponent for Wilder’s comeback. Despite a decent record, Herndon’s wins have typically come against less challenging opponents, including recent narrow split decision victories over fighters with losing records. Furthermore, Herndon has been stopped four times, all before the third round.
This bout marks the first of a three-fight contract between Wilder and Nelson Lopez Jr., with the hope that a string of wins will set up a high-profile fight against Anthony Joshua.
The fight card and odds for the event are:
– Deontay Wilder -2500 vs Tyrrell Herndon +1100 (heavyweight)
– Deon Nicholson vs Devonte Williams (light heavyweight)
– Marco Romero vs Andre Amaro (super middleweight)
– Jorge Carlos vs Jay Krupp (junior welterweight)
– John Cantrell vs Franklin Sparks (heavyweight)
Fight details:
– Date: June 27th
– Location: Wichita, Kansas
– Start time: 9pm Ring Walk, around 11pm fight start
– Streaming: fubo (free trial available), PPV price: $24.99
Prediction: Herndon was selected as Wilder’s comeback opponent largely because he is not very skilled and has been frequently stopped in fights. Wilder doesn’t need to be at his peak to defeat Herndon; just throwing punches should suffice. However, concern remains about Wilder’s recent low punch output and susceptibility to knockdowns and knockouts, which were seen in his previous fights against better competition. The pick is for Deontay Wilder to win by first-round knockout.
Fan Take: This fight is crucial for Wilder to reclaim his status and confidence in the heavyweight division, offering hope for a potential showdown with other top contenders like Anthony Joshua. For fight fans, it serves as a pivotal moment to see if Wilder can rebound after tough losses and continue contributing thrilling moments to the sport of boxing.
