The return of former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is still being worked on.
Wilder, who recently returned to training, has been out of the ring since suffering an eleventh round knockout loss in his sensational trilogy fight with current WBC champ Tyson Fury, which took place last October in Las Vegas.
Wilder’s co-manager, Shelly Finkel, indicates that nothing has been set in stone, but the comeback of Wilder is being put together and close to being finalized.
According to Finkel, the announcement could come as early as next week.
“Spoke with him on Tuesday, he couldn’t be happier. He’s having a great time and he’s getting more attention now than ever before. He’s out in Vegas training and he’s very happy,” Finkel told The Sun.
“He’s at the UFC gym training, we’re not exactly sure where the next fight will be yet but I would hope to have that together in the next week or so. I think next week we’ll probably have an agreement and then an announcement.”
The fight is expected to take place in the fall. The opponent is unknown. One of the names in the running is top contender Robert Helenius, who is coming off back to back knockout wins over Adam Kownacki. The rematch with Kownacki took place on the undercard of the Fury-Wilder trilogy.
Frank Warren, the promoter of Fury, believes Wilder will end up facing Helenius.
Nothing has been set, says Finkel, who states there are several names in the running.
“There’s nothing done. What happened on that, Frank and I are pretty close, and Frank said to me, ‘Are you looking at Helenius as one of the people as one of the ones you’re looking at? As I’m interested in him for Daniel Dubois,'” Finkel said.
“I said, ‘Yeah, I’m interested in him for Deontay.’ Then, all of a sudden he tells people that. And that’s how that all started. At this moment, he’s just one of several we’re looking at.”
