Whatever debate existed over whether Deontay Wilder should fight again has been settled by the former world heavyweight champion himself.
A boxing official familiar with the situation said Wilder and heavyweight Curtis Harper have each submitted signed contracts to fight in a bout targeted for April 26 in Atlanta and streamed by BLK Prime.
The Ring magazine originally reported Jacksonville’s Harper, 18-11 (12 KOs), had signed to fight Wilder, the former WBC champion who is coming off four losses in his past five bouts.
After surrendering his belt to Tyson Fury by seventh-round TKO in 2020, Wilder engaged Fury in the 2021 fight of the year, getting knocked down three times and finished by an 11th-round knockout.
Alabama’s Wilder returned with a knockout victory over Robert Helenius, but was then outboxed by former WBA champion Joseph Parker in a December 2023 loss in Saudi Arabia.
Wilder, 43-4-1 (42 KOs), returned to the Middle East in June and was dealt a crueler fate, a fifth-round battering and stoppage at the hands of China’s Zhilei Zhang.
Wilder manager Shelly Finkel said his fighter has been lifted by his recovery from shoulder surgery and is confident about resuming a career that includes his 2008 bronze medal in the Olympics and a title reign from 2015-2020.
In Harper, Wilder meets a 36-year-old best known for his 2018 decision to walk out of a Minnesota ring before a punch was even thrown with opponent Efe Ajagba.
A four-fight losing streak, including defeats to Top Rank prospects Richard Torrez Jr. and Guido Vianello, followed, but Harper posted four victories last year – never going past the second round – and his toughness is seen as an asset that will make the Wilder comeback bout interesting for as long as it lasts.
Wilder was poised to formally announce his comeback plans Saturday at a news conference in Los Angeles, but the session was canceled due to wildfires that have ravaged Southern California.
It’s expected more will be known by week’s end.
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