Deontay Wilder is one step closer in his quest to revive his career.
The former heavyweight titleholder Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs) stepped on the scales Thursday and weighed in at 225.4 pounds for his fight Friday against Tyrrell Herndon (24-5, 15 KOs), who weighed in at 218.2.
The Global Combat Collective PPV event will take place at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas, and will be
distributed by BLK Prime and PPV.com, among others, for $24.95.Wilder decided to bulk up a bit since a fifth-round stoppage loss to
Zhilei Zhang 12 months ago. Wilder weighed in at 214 ½ pounds for that fight, which was his fourth loss in five outings.
Wilder also has inked up with new coach Don House after amicably parting ways with years-long head trainer Malik Scott. Wilder’s other longtime coach, Jay Deas, is still in his corner.
With his mental health back in order, Wilder, who turns 40 in October, is looking to quiet detractors and make another run as heavyweight champion. He already has his eyes set on fights against
Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua.
"We have a few fights lined up for this year, and it's going to be some warmups," Wilder told
The Ring. "We'll call it warmups, and that's no disrespect to any opponent who steps in the ring with me. We're tuning things up. I want to make sure everything is back and functioning back to how I used to be, and even better.
"I had opportunities to come back and fight against big names, but this year is going to be about tuneups to make sure what I say is what I am still capable of. Once I complete these tasks, next year is back to the big leagues.
"I don't have anything left to prove. I have a state-funded statue back home. I am a walking, living legend. But being the unified heavyweight champion is one of my goals.
“I made some great money, and I invested in a lot of great things. I live a good life, and my family is good. If I don't want to do anything for the rest of my life, I have that option. So don't worry about what I want to do or what I want to pursue in my life because ... you're still going to watch.
“Here I am once again, ready to go baby.”
Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan