DEONTAY WILDER is ready to step in and fight Oleksandr Usyk after talks with Tyson Fury broke down.
Usyk’s side claimed they were forced to pull the plug on the proposed four-belt unification- the first in history – due to Fury’s “disrespectful” demands.
And the Ukrainian legend, 36, now looks set to instead face mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois, 25, per the WBA’s request.
But former WBC champion Wilder, 37, has thrown his name into the hat for a mega-fight with the WBA, IBF and WBO champion.
His manager Shelly Finkel told Sky Sports: “If the Oleksandr Usyk fight is available, Deontay Wilder will take it in a heartbeat.”
Wilder is a promotional free agent currently and knocked out Robert Helenius, 38, in round one of his October comeback fight.
READ MORE IN BOXING
And the American has been in recent talks to fight Francis Ngannou, 36, who is now eyeing a boxing move after leaving the UFC.
Meanwhile, Usyk’s historic undisputed title fight with Fury, 34, faces collapse after negotiations broke down at the 11th hour.
He publicly accepted the “greedy” offer of just a 70/30 split to unify all four belts on April 29 at Wembley.
But behind the scenes organisers struggled to get the deal over the line as the target date fast approached.
Most read in Boxing
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk spoke out to reveal that the sticking point was the financial split for a potential rematch between the rivals.
But Fury’s promoter Frank Warren hit back to try and shift the focus to the original fight again.
Warren sensationally came to a head with Krassyuk live on air with talkSPORT, where an agreement to renegotiate was met.
He said: “We’re not gonna be negotiating over the radio, that’s for sure. But Alex and I are friends.
“I still believe this fight can be made and I believe with the will of everybody concerned we can get it over the line and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Krassyuk replied: “From our perspective now this fight is not going to happen on April 29.
“Maybe some miracle can happen, but I’m really sincere, I’m not trying to play games. Usyk’s camp pulled the plug out.”
Warren concluded: “As soon as we finish with you guys, we’re gonna get back on the phone together Alex and I.
“We’re gonna have a chat and if we can do this we’re gonna come back to you and tell you we’ve done a deal.”
It has punched new hope that a compromise can be met but Warren admitted: “We’ve probably got about a day, maybe two days, then we’re done.”
Read More on The Sun
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
