Deontay Wilder: Former heavyweight world champion returns to ring with TKO victory over Tyrrell Herndon – ‘It’s been a long road’
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Published 28/06/2025 at 11:03 GMT+1
Deontay Wilder stepped into the ring for the first time in more than a year on Friday night, marking his comeback with a win over Tyrrell Herndon in Kansas. "It's been a long road for me," said 'The Bronze Bomber', who registered his first win since October 2022. The 39-year-old claims it is a "new beginning", but questions remain over whether Wilder can ever return to his pre-2020 form.
'Goes down hard!' – The moment Zhang brutally knocks out Wilder
Video credit: TNT Sports
Deontay Wilder marked his return to the ring on Friday night with a seventh-round TKO of fellow American Tyrrell Herndon.
The former WBC heavyweight champion knocked down his lesser-known opponent in both the second and sixth rounds during a relatively comfortable victory at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas.
It was his first fight in more than a year after a brutal defeat to China’s Zhilei Zhang in Saudi Arabia last June.
"I was off a long time getting myself back together mentally, physically and emotionally," said ‘The Bronze Bomber’, now 39.
"It’s been a long road for me. It’s great to be back in the ring. I didn’t give the fans exactly what they wanted to see, but I’m just going to get better and better."
Victory in Kansas offered some much-needed relief for Wilder, who had lost four of his previous five bouts before facing Herndon.
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5 vs 5 Highlights: Zhang brutally knocks out Wilder
Video credit: TNT Sports
He had not registered a win since knocking out Robert Helenius in New York back in October 2022, which came after back-to-back defeats to Britain’s Tyson Fury in their iconic trilogy between December 2018 and October 2021.
Friday night was far from vintage Wilder, but he got the job done by physically overpowering his opponent.
Herndon, who had 24 wins and five losses heading into the fight, could not cope with the barrage of punches raining down on him.
"I wanted to display more," Wilder added. "Taking my time to be able to set up my shot and become more than my right hand. I want to become a complete, all-round fighter,"
He claimed the victory marks a "new beginning", despite many writing him off and dismissing him as past his prime.
Last November, he insisted: "The best is yet to come.
"I had a lot of outside distractions that I had to get rid of. I took care of a lot of people and it got to the point where I couldn’t do it anymore.
"I’ve got seven kids of my own, I can’t take care of everybody. Even the closest ones to me, I’ve been betrayed so many times."
While the Herndon win offers Wilder a psychological boost and ends his losing streak, it came against an opponent far below elite level.
The Bronze Bomber will need to prove himself against a world-class contender if he wants to truly reclaim his place at the top.
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