Deontay Wilder may not be the force of devastating power he once was, but there can be no doubt of his continued proclivity for chaos or entertainment. 

The American kept the dying embers of his career alive on Saturday night as he sent Derek Chisora into retirement with a frantic but thrilling split-decision victory at The O2 in London.

Wilder’s jubilation suggested a personal epiphany that there is still a little more to squeeze out of the tank, though there are certainly question marks over how a win over a 42-year-old heavy-mileage Chisora should be perceived.

Lose, and that was probably that for the Bronze Bomber. But he did not, extending his record to 45-4-1 (43 KOs) and in turn teeing up more potential paydays for what remains a recognised name.

AJ on the horizon?

The script came together nicely on Saturday night as footage emerged of Wilder seemingly ignoring Joshua while trudging through the back halls of The O2, Eddie Hearn’s accompanying smile fuelling a fascinating tension between two of the biggest punchers in the heavyweight division over the last decade.

It has been for the brute power and knockout destruction that a fight between Wilder and Joshua always felt so coveted, but as the years have passed by there is an increasing fear a golden opportunity may have been missed.

Joshua was the WBA, IBF and WBO unified champion at the same time Wilder occupied the WBC belt, but a fight could never be agreed. Wilder instead proceeded to lose to Fury while Joshua was out-classed by Usyk.

The presence of Joshua at the weekend elevated the chances of the two finally getting it on, Joshua’s immediate plans still to be confirmed as he eases back into the spotlight following December’s car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends.

“Let’s do it,” Wilder said to Joshua after his win over Chisora.

“You’re not ready for that,” replied Joshua.

“He’s scared as f***. Let’s do it,” Wilder continued.

Joshua last fought in December when he knocked out Jake Paul, and had evidently been on course to finally fight Fury in one of the most eagerly-anticipated contests in British boxing history. Could Wilder yet enter the fold?

“I dapped it up with him and said: “Now let’s get it on”. It was simple as that,” Wilder said.

Usyk on the cards?

Three-time undisputed world champion Oleksandr Usyk has previously claimed he has three more fights left in his career – could Wilder feature among them?

Usyk is currently gearing up to face kickboxer Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza on May 23, where he will defend his WBC heavyweight title. The Ukrainian has been linked to a potential third fight with Tyson Fury, as well as a clash with rising heavyweight sensation Moses Itauma and a possible meeting with the winner of WBO world champion Fabio Wardley against Daniel Dubois, the latter of whom Usyk has knocked out twice.

Wilder recently underlined his interest in adding Usyk to his resume. Realistically, boxing meritocracy would suggest he should and will not get that chance, but the American is naturally chasing marquee names in the final stages of his career.

“It can happen and it will happen,” Wilder told Sky Sports ahead of his fight with Chisora. “As long as I have the confidence to do what I have to do, it will happen. Unless he retires and if so that’s fine with me. I must accomplish what I set forth in the beginning of my career.

“Why not make goals while you’re inside of the ring? I have. Unifying the division would be an overwhelming feeling for me. That’s something that I never had the opportunity to have.

“I’m most definitely one win away [from Usyk]. I hear a lot of things. I don’t keep up with too much. I hear he wants to fight me and then all of a sudden he doesn’t want to fight me. You really don’t know what to believe when you’re in the business of boxing.

“He’s one of the best in the era. I do need him to accomplish what I need to accomplish.”

Wilder vs Fury 4?

Wilder was central to one of boxing’s great modern trilogies when he went toe-to-toe with Fury from 2018-2021, fighting out a draw despite his devastating knockdown of Fury in the first bout before twice being stopped by the Gypsy King.

It was a gruelling and physically taxing rivalry that would take years off the career of both, as much evidenced by a gun-shy Wilder in defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang while Fury himself fell short in his bid to become undisputed champion against Usyk.

Is a fourth fight needed? One might argue not. Neither man is the same fighter, nor does another fight appear to make any sense.

Nevertheless, Wilder retains faith in his ability to make a dent at the top of heavyweight boxing, a division he believes he can yet “clean up”.

“Many people doubted me, many people counted me out, many people threw dirt on my name, but you can’t throw dirt at someone who is chosen. I am chosen,” Wilder said. “Each and every time I step into the ring, each and every time I train, I am getting better and better and better in myself. I am truly healed and I am truly back.

“As long as these guys are in the heavyweight division, I’m here and you can call me Mr Clean because I’m gonna clean up the whole division.

“The heavyweight division is nothing without Deontay Wilder. The character that I bring, the things that I say, what other fighters do you know that make things go viral from the things that he say? I don’t know one.

“That being said, you need that type of character. Somebody that is real, somebody that is passionate about what he says and unapologetic for what he says.”

Would Wilder take on Itauma?

The queue to face Moses Itauma could go one of two ways. Some will leap at the chance to share a ring with the future of the sport, in hope of both derailing him and securing a headline opportunity. Others can only hope they are able to swerve him in their own world title pursuit.

He is lightning fast and packs fearsome knockout power with a youthful energy and the fearlessness of a heavyweight fighter yet to come remotely close to being hurt or pushed into retreat. Wilder can be erratic and inaccurate, and is far from the same threat that troubled Fury, but the Alabama man will fancy his own explosiveness to give Itauma his toughest test.

The undefeated Brit just extended his perfect record to 14-0 with a stunning knockout victory over Jermaine Franklin, and is the talk of the heavyweight division.

“I’m in the heavyweight division, all these other characters are in the heavyweight division. Why not?,” Wilder said of Itauma after his win over Chisora.

“I’m not dodging anyone. I’m a veteran in the game. I’m looking forward to fighting any and all, especially if the fans want to see it.

“I didn’t know who Moses was but I saw some of his highlights, and I saw his last fight against Franklin. Hell of a KO.

“He seems like a potential champion so why not test him out?”