Deontay Wilder’s coach outlines criteria for fighter’s comeback opponent

Wilder’s coach Malik Scott expects the ‘Bronze Bomber’ to face a lower ranked heavyweight on his return before pursuing a bigger name on PPV for the end of 2022

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Where does Tyson Fury’s win leave the world heavyweight scene?

Deontay Wilder’s coach Malik Scott anticipates the American will face a lower-ranked heavyweight on his return to action next year.

The ‘Bronze Bomber’ suffered an agonising defeat by lineal champion Tyson Fury in the pair’s third showdown last month.

He is now pondering a return next year after he recovers from a broken hand injury suffered during the Las Vegas meeting.

But his trainer Scott expects Wilder to face lesser opposition on his comeback fight in order to return to winning ways.

“With Deontay, obviously, the first fight back is not going to be at the level that he just left,” Scott told World Boxing News. “We have to do things the right way.

“At the same time, we can’t go much lower than that [Fury] because he’s a high entertainment revenue fighter. He’s big-time boxing.

“We have to give him a threat because Deontay gets up for threats. “Obviously, it won’t be a Fury level, but it won’t be somebody down in the bucket.

“We’re not going to get somebody with a record of 27-11. That’s not happening. It has to be a name that fans have heard of.”

Wilder put up a brave display during his redemption mission, knocking his opponent down twice before being dismissed in the penultimate stanza.

The spectacle was considered a modern-era classic with both fighters having not made a ring appearance since February of the previous year.

And Wilder’s stock rose in defeat giving Fury arguably the toughest examination of his heavyweight career yet.

The American has been linked with a number of high-profile names upon his return including Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz.

Will Deontay Wilder become world champion again on his return? Let us know your verdict in the comments section below.

While a potential opponent has now yet been decided, Scott has confirmed Wilder is hungrier than ever to return to the ring after a series of 2am phone calls.

Scott continued: “I planned on not talking about boxing with him, but Deontay is such a warrior, such a natural fighter, that he’s already plotting and planning the same way he did after the (second) fight against Fury.

“After the fight, I kept telling people Deontay’s gonna rest. I don’t want to talk about boxing with him, and I’m not even going to bring boxing up. But after the fight, I’d call him like 2-3 in the morning, wake him up and talk to him about new drills I have for him, new stuff we have to work on.

“I’m like, ‘Bro, I got these drills, we gonna do this when we get back. You’re gonna be two-time heavyweight champion. It just didn’t happen for us on the night, but, bro, you won a whole lot of glory’.”