Malik Scott reveals Deontay Wilder’s three top targets for 2025
Malik Scott – trainer of former WBC heavyweight champion of the world Deontay Wilder – has proclaimed that the once destructive ‘Bronze Bomber’ will return to the ring in 2025 – following a two-fight skid against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang.
He also wants Deontay Wilder to entertain the likes of Francis Ngannou, Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua, whilst trying to line up Jake Paul with a WBA cruiserweight world title shot.
Speaking to Jeffbet, 44-year-old trainer Scott said of his heavyweight charge, “He’s healthy. He had a couple of surgeries done, and that’s another thing.
“2025 is coming up now. It’s a New Year coming up, and we’ll see what happens. It’s really tough when you have a fighter that’s well accomplished, with so many expectations of them in his own second half of his career. And everybody’s like, “When is he fighting? When is he fighting next?” Well, that’s up to him. But what I can say is 2025 is coming up, so, 2024 is gonna be left behind us.
“If he wants to do it, 2025 to me will be the perfect year for him to come back. My instinct is saying fighting is a part of Deontay’s heart. It’s just who he is. He’s a fighter, even when he’s not fighting in a ring. He’s just a fighter, so I believe that he will come back in 2025.
“But we’ll see. Everything has to be right for him to come back again. So we’ll see. If you ask me my feeling, my feeling is that 2025 is coming up, and I believe it’s going to be a big year for him.”
In regards to who Wilder is targeting, Scott answered, “Absolutely no negotiations are going on right now. For the last five years, it’s been certain names; the Joshua’s, the Ngannou’s, anybody that’s considered high-level or high entertainment.”
He then discussed the idea of fighting retired boxing legend, Wladimir Klitschko, “Wladimir Klitschko is a legend. There’s so much that comes with that brand of Wladimir Klitschko. So, that’s worth the while right there. I’m sure that would be a name to consider if that rumour he wants to return is true, that would be a name to put some attention on.
“If something like that were to happen, Deontay and Wladimir, it’d be one of the biggest heavyweight fights of all time. But I would be very shocked if Wladimir came back. I look at Vitali, Wladimir, and Lennox as the type of fighters, to me, when they’re done, they’re done. So, if he comes back, he won’t be a new face in the division. His presence still will be felt.”
Scott got back to the rivals that would be more realistic for a matchup, “I’d prefer Deontay entertain the Joshua’s, the Ngannou’s for entertainment purposes, things of that nature.
“I think if anything does happen with Ngannou, it’s going to be in a boxing ring not the cage. Ngannou and Deontay is pure entertainment. It’s entertainment at the high-level, and high-level paying entertainment, too. So, it will always make sense because they will make a lot of dollars, so it always makes sense.
“Ngannou really, really put his stock up with his fight against Fury, his introduction into boxing. He got blown out by AJ, but he went back into PFL, and he beat a very, very talented kid. So let’s see. If it’s not Ngannou, like him and Anthony Joshua, to me, it’s always a fight that’s gonna be big in boxing. It’s a shame these guys haven’t shared the ring with each other. They should have by now.”
Tracking back on the mention of Wilder’s injuries, Malik delved into further detail, “The injury was significant enough that he was able to get surgeries done when he was actually able to have the time to do it.
“So, you got to commend him because he’s been fighting so long with these things, so now, when time has allowed it, he was able to go get these things taken care of- not just really for boxing, but for life, period.
“He’s in a hell of a position where he’s able to just go get those types of things taken care of. He’s able to go get this issue with the shoulder handled.
“Deontay is blessed with the time after the last fight to get these injuries handled, and that’s what he did. He went on a recovery mission to get those things recovered. They recovered well and now here we are here.”
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk 2 prediction
“Fury’s weight won’t matter. Usyk beats big men very well. They’re still talking about size, after all the big guys he beat? They’re still talking about coming in big? He’s beat Dubois. He’s beat AJ twice. He beat Fury once. He’s beat Joe Joyce before. Why are we still talking about size?
“When it comes to this guy, you need more than size to beat him. Skills pay bills, not size. Usyk is one of the best craftsmen to ever lace up a pair of gloves. We shouldn’t be talking about how big someone’s going to come in against him. How prepared are you skill-wise? How much are you drilling when you’re tired in the gym? If you can’t fight when you’re tired against him, bro, you’re dead. You’re just dead because he has an engine and the will.
“Oleksandr Usyk believes training camp is to suffer. When he got ready for Joshua 2, he had 8 to 13 sparring guys, all big guys. There were times he was boxing seven guys in one day, and not three-minute rounds – four-minute rounds.
“And he’s fighting for more than himself. He actually fights bigger guys better than he fights smaller men. Hence why, to me, Michael Hunter was still his toughest fight.
“People always talk about how adaptable Floyd Mayweather is. The closest thing to Floyd, or probably on the same level as him, in adapting to any style, any size – it’s Oleksandr Usyk.
“And he’s fighting for more than himself. He’s an unselfish fighter. That makes him more dangerous. He’s fighting for his country. He stands by his country. He’s a family man. He’s a married man. He’s a man that honoured his dead father. You could see he’s a man of pride. He comes to tears when he’s talking about his father. This stuff makes him more and more dangerous.
“He told Fury he will not leave him alone and that’s exactly how his style is. He’s gonna be on you all day. If you don’t have Deontay Wilder-type of power that could just put him to sleep lights out, I don’t think it’s humanly possible to beat him.
“That’s why I used to say Deontay was the only one that could do it because he has one-punch knockout power. None of those other guys have really one-punch knockout power that could comatose you the way Deontay does. They’re big guys that punch hard. But Deontay’s power is special.
“I think if Wladimir Klitschko was in the heavyweight division now fighting Oleksandr Usyk, it would be a very, very good fight. Because he has this power. Lennox Lewis fighting Oleksandr Usyk, very, very good fight. But if you ain’t got that type of one-punch concussive power – Fury hit him on the button how many times? He didn’t go nowhere.
“So what’s going to happen differently now? It’s not – Usyk is about to win by stoppage. That’s what’s going to happen.”
12 Things you didn’t know about Deontay Wilder
