Deontay Wilder says the problems that he’s been dealing with lately inside the ring have been a result of injuries that affected his right arm. He states that he’s now healthy and ready to continue with his goal of becoming the undisputed champion.

Wilder, 39, is returning to the ring against veteran Tyrrell Anthony Herndon (24-5, 15 KOs) on June 27th at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. The former WBC champion Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs) needs to make up for lost time because the last six years have been one dreary nightmare for the 2008 Olympic bronze bomber, with him losing to Tyson Fury x 2, Joseph Parker, and Zhilei Zhang.

Injury Explanation

Wilder can’t afford another loss. It’s bad enough that he’s fighting the no-name journeyman Herndon in Wichita rather than being on the A-list to compete on the lucrative Riyadh Season shows. His last two defeats against Parker and Zhang may have permanently ruined Deontay’s chances of being invited back.

“We wanted to make sure I was physically healthy. I injured my shoulder, and then it healed. Then I fell on that same shoulder. So, I had to start that process again,” said Deontay Wilder to DAZN Boxing about why he’s been struggling for the last five years.

“Everything I threw my right hand, it would be nothing but pain. I’m fully healed. I don’t have no more pain and all my burdens have been cut loose from me. I still got to unify the division. That’s one of the main things that I came in for and a goal that I set forth.

“I never had the opportunity to get that accomplished due to other circumstances of different obligations of other people. I never had that opportunity, but I’m still here. I’m still young [39], and healthy. It feels so good to be so successful for what I’ve done,” said Wilder.