Boxing

Herring (21-2) and Jonathan Oquendo (31-6) were due to meet at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Tuesday, after the fight was originally scheduled for July 2.

The bout was initially postponed after Herring contracted COVID-19 and promoter Top Rank announced on Monday that the American boxer tested positive a second time.

Top Rank did not announce whether the fight would be rescheduled.

"I feel great, I had the best [weight] cut ever. I was actually on weight days ago," Herring told ESPN. "I'm actually more bummed out about this for my team because we put in so much work.

"We even had the extra weeks for the fight after the original date. The main thing is I took time away from my family. But I'm more upset for the people around me. But I feel great."

Herring, who wants the bout to be rescheduled for August, later tweeted: "These tests are 30 per cent faulty... Here's clearly my timeline of when I contracted the virus, till the time I came back negative.

"I even woke up today on weight, ready to go, and even took an antibody test this morning to prove I'm fine, but the commission didn't want to risk it.

"Crazy thing is... this was the easiest weight cut that I had! I wasn't drained, and I could've made weight earlier last week. My trainer and manager @BomacBrian wanted to see if I could compete at 126... but that's pushing it

"I did everything possible. They asked me to take the antibody test this morning, just for them to return and cancel the fight."

Herring retained his WBO junior lightweight belt against Lamont Roach Jr. in November, having won the title in May last year.

Whyte was due to step into the ring with Povetkin for an interim WBC heavyweight world title showdown at the Manchester Arena on May 2, but the fight will not go ahead.

The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) on Monday further extended its suspension of boxing events until the end of May, with the United Kingdom in lockdown.

Matchroom Boxing stated that the bout has been rescheduled for July 4, although that is subject to how long the ongoing crisis lasts for. 

Usyk was set to do battle with Chisora at The O2 in London on May 23, but that has also been called off and no new date has been agreed.

A BBBofC statement said: "The British Boxing Board of Control has further extended its suspension of boxing tournaments under its jurisdiction for the month of May.

"We will continue to follow the government and medical authorities' advice and keep the situation under review, and when possible explore all options available to find a way of lifting the suspension when conditions permit."

Katie Taylor's world title showdown with Amanda Serrano was due to be on the undercard for Whyte's battle with Povetkin.

A mammoth clash between Taylor and Jose Ramirez in Las Vegas on Saturday saw the Briton twice knock down his opponent.

Those blows were pivotal in a unanimous but tight points win that saw all three judges score the bout 114-112 in Taylor's favour.

The 30-year-old protected his WBA and IBF light welterweight titles and added Ramirez's WBC and WBO straps.

Since 2004, only four other boxers have held the four major belts at once – Oleksandr Usyk, Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor and Crawford – and Taylor could now face one of them.

Crawford was the undisputed champion in the same division in 2017 after beating Julius Indongo, before vacating his titles to move up to welterweight.

It is a move Taylor (18-0) could repeat in order to face the undefeated American, who now holds the WBO strap at 147 pounds.

"I think two undisputed champions going at it at 147lb would be awesome, would be amazing," Taylor said.

"I'm not going to be short of options now; every fight is going to be huge. We'll take it and see what comes my way. We'll just ride the wave."

The locations of potential future fights are as exciting to Taylor as the opponents, though.

'The Tartan Tornado' was born in Prestonpans but has not fought in Edinburgh since November 2017.

His place in history secure, Taylor, a Hibernian fan, would now be keen to arrange a title bout either at Easter Road or the "iconic" Edinburgh Castle.

"Now is the time to get that fight at Edinburgh Castle or Easter Road," he said.

"I know Easter Road are going to be up for having me there and they've said it to me a few times.

"But I'd love to fight at Edinburgh Castle. I just think that would be iconic with the castle lit up in the background."

In action for the first time in almost a year, Crawford improved to 37-0 and retained his WBO crown with a fourth-round knockout of Kell Brook at the MGM Grand.

The American said he was eyeing a bout with WBA holder Pacquiao, 41, next.

"I'm looking to secure a Pacquiao fight," Crawford told ESPN.

"We were close to securing a Pacquiao fight prior to this fight, but being that COVID was getting out of hand, the fans couldn't attend the fight so we had to put a halt to it.

"That's when we decided to go with Kell Brook, he was the next known welterweight that was available to fight so now we're going to go back to the drawing board and try to revisit that fight with Manny Pacquiao."

Unbeaten and holding the WBC and IBF welterweight titles, Errol Spence Jr. was touted as Crawford's potential next opponent.

Spence will defend his titles against Danny Garcia in Texas on December 5.

Crawford's promoter Bob Arum believes Spence (26-0) is trying to avoid Crawford.

"Errol Spence will try to avoid Terence Crawford as long as he can because he knows he can't beat Terence Crawford," he said.

"You saw the performance tonight. He'll take out Errol Spence in about the same number of rounds like he took out Kell Brook."

Crawford was far too good for Avanesyan in Omaha, further enhancing the appetite for a unification showdown with IBF, WBA and WBC claimant Spence.

The 35-year-old southpaw reportedly agreed terms with Spence in September for a November fight which never materialised, while many expected Saturday's bout with WBO number six contender Avanesyan to be lopsided.

"Listen, I'm a free agent, this was a one-fight deal," Crawford said after Saturday's win when asked about the prospect of fighting Spence.

"Hopefully we can go [back] to the drawing board and these big fights come about in the near future."

Spence was involved in a two-vehicle accident on Saturday where he was not at fault but thankfully escaped relatively unscathed.

Crawford added about his rival: "I wish him well. I hope he’s alright - mentally, physically and emotionally. This is just a sport. We're all fighting for that number one spot, so it ain’t personal."

The American knocked Avanesyan out after a strong burst in the sixth round, landing a left-handed uppercut followed by a short left uppercut-right hook combination to seal victory.

The win meant the WBO world welterweight champion made his sixth straight defence and recorded his 10th straight knockout. It also improved his overall record to 39-0.

Crawford made it 38 wins from 38 fights thanks to Saturday's TKO as the American star successfully defended his crown in Las Vegas.

In his fifth consecutive title defence, Crawford was pushed by Porter (31-4-1), who applied relentless pressure at Michelob Ultra Arena.

But Porter eventually came unstuck in the 10th round, going down twice after being caught with a left uppercut and a right hook to the temple.

It led to Porter's father and trainer Kenny throwing in the towel in bizarre fashion.

"He's been in there with everybody," Crawford said. "He did what he could. I was just the better man tonight."

On his father's decision to stop the fight, Porter added: "He's doing what he knows he needs to do.

"I didn't expect that. We never had a conversation like that. We just have an unspoken understanding that if he sees what he needs to see, he's going to do what he did. I didn't expect that.

"Yes [I could have gone on]. The punches he was catching me [were] too clean. I think that's what my dad saw. I saw and felt it.

"I just think my timing was a little off, great fighter over there wouldn't allow me to catch my rhythm. He's a dynamite dude in and out of the ring."

Kenny Porter said: "Honestly, his preparation [on why he threw in the towel]. He didn't prepare like I wanted him to prepare. That just makes me say I don't want him in that situation.

"Shawn was hurt and moving forward, this guy is a sharp fighter and my kid is at a deficit and couldn't defend himself. I had to protect him."

The American improved his impeccable record to 37-0 with a flurry of power in the fourth round at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Crawford left Brook staggering with a big right and followed it up to end the fight and keep his WBO welterweight crown.

Brook (39-3) had shown good early signs back at welterweight in what may end up being his last professional fight, but Crawford's power proved too much.

Defending for the fourth time but fighting for the first time in almost a year, Crawford made a slow start.

Brook, a former champion back at welterweight for the first time since 2017, dictated with his jab early, and landed a nice uppercut in the second round as he troubled Crawford.

Crawford, though, found his rhythm late in the third, landing a big right hand in what was a sign of things to come.

And the bout did not last much longer.

A huge right from Crawford sent Brook stumbling into the ropes, and he followed it up with a left-right combination to end the fight.

WBC champion Fury opened the door for a 'Battle of Britain' with Joshua after it became clear a unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk would not occur this year.

However, following drawn-out talks between the fighters' camps, Fury declared last week that Joshua had until 17:00 BST on Monday to put pen to paper on the terms.

That deadline came and went without any official confirmation, and Fury once again took to social media shortly after to declare the heavyweight fight will not be taking place.

"It's official. D-Day has come and gone," he said in a video message on his Instagram account. "It's gone past 5 o'clock Monday, no contract has been signed. It's officially over. 

"Joshua is now out in the cold with the wolfpack. Forget about it. Idiot, coward, s***house, bodybuilder. Always knew you didn't have the minerals to fight the Gypsy King. 

"Regardless of what you say now, I don't really care. Good luck with your career and your life, end of."

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn said last week an initial contract offer sent by Fury's camp was not acceptable, but the parties were "working positively" to reach an agreement.

That led to Fury making his ultimatum to Joshua to sign the contract by Monday or forget about a fight that has been years in the making.

In response, two-time world champion Joshua – who has lost three of his past five fights – said he fully intended to sign the deal, but it was currently with his legal team.

Should Fury be true to his word, the 34-year-old could look to arrange a title defence against Mahmoud Charr in the same December slot ahead of facing Usyk next year.

Dubois (19-1, 18KOs) will attempt to etch his name into British history alongside Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Lennox Lewis when he walks out at Tarczynski Arena in front of around 43,000 spectators.

Usyk’s WBA, IBF and WBO belts will be on the line and the Ukrainian (20-0, 13KOs) will be backed by a partisan crowd in Wroclaw, which will be filled with Ukraine natives who have resided in Poland since Russian’s invasion of their country last year.

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The bookmakers make Dubois, 25, the overwhelming underdog but he tipped the scales at 16st and 9lbs at Friday’s weigh-in, almost a stone heavier than 36-year-old Usyk’s 15st and 10lbs.

Both boxers have fought 20 times in the professional ranks but there is a big disparity in rounds with Dubois involved in 105 fewer than Usyk’s 168, which has contained plenty for a world title.

Nevertheless, all of Dubois’ bouts have been at heavyweight while the former undisputed world cruiserweight champion only stepped up to the blue-riband division in 2019.

Dubois told the PA news agency: “I have been boxing for most of my life so that (age) argument is out of the window. I have the experience and I need to be a veteran in this fight.

“I have to bully him. I have to go in there and be the bully. Be the bully and shake him up.”

The Londoner also has a secret weapon after joining forces with trainer Don Charles, who was in Derek Chisora’s corner when the British veteran caused Usyk problems in 2020.

“Yeah, Don will be putting in things that I am not even aware of style-wise and coach-wise. He has a lot of passion and that is what you need,” Dubois said.

“You need the bully-the-bull type mentality to go in there and f*** s*** up, as they say. That is what we need to do.”

Stablemate Tyson Fury will also act as inspiration for Dubois with Queensberry Promotions promoter Frank Warren able to draw parallels between this clash and a memorable world title fight in Dusseldorf in 2015.

Few gave Fury any chance when he stepped out to fight Wladimir Klitschko eight years ago but he produced an enormous shock to win on points and claim the belts now held by Usyk in his own first world title bout.

Dubois added: “All the great fighters had to do it. Before they were champions, people doubted them and had a lot of things to say.

“Boxing is made up of opinions so I never take it to heart or let it break me. I am ready to go. Ready to go out there and prove what I need to do.

“Tyson is a good example. Look at what he has done and gone on to achieve now. I just need to get the prayers going and hopefully the big man upstairs hears me.”

While most of the pre-fight focus has centred on whether a unification clash between Usyk and Fury could finally occur in 2024, the mandatory challenger wants to spoil a homecoming party of sorts in Poland.

After coming through the storm of his 2020 defeat to Joe Joyce, where he took a knee which allowed himself to be counted out in the 10th round due to a hugely swollen left eye, Dubois believes he now has a date with destiny.

“My dad especially backing me and being behind me has been paramount,” he said.

“This doesn’t happen often but I am ready for this opportunity and ready to perform. That is the main thing to perform on the night.

“Go out there and show everything I have done. All the hard work I have put in and my dad has put in over the years. It is finally time.”

A ninth-round knockout ensured Usyk kept hold of his WBA, IBF and WBO belts with a 14th knockout win in 21 fights, much to the delight of the large contingent of his fellow Ukrainians who have resided in Poland since Russian’s invasion of their country last year.

However, promoter Frank Warren told reporters at the post-fight press conference that the contest was spoiled by the referee’s decision to allow Usyk to recover after he was buckled by a low blow from Dubois in the fifth.

The shot was deemed accidental, but Warren said his camp would be taking action seeking either a no contest or rematch.

He said: “The situation is that we will be lobbying the WBA to declare this as a no contest.

“The knockdown which the referee said was below the belt… the punch actually landed on the waistband of his shorts.

“The criteria, as is explained at the rules meeting, waist is the mid-point of your hips. So it’s much lower.

“That was a legitimate blow and (the fight) should’ve been stopped. He got three minutes and 46 seconds recovery time, which was wrong. He got it wrong the referee and I still don’t understand, if it was a low blow, why he didn’t take any points off him.”

Warren added: “I don’t think (the referee’s) crooked, I think he just got it totally wrong.

“As a result, it should be declared a no contest in the worst case, or a rematch ordered.”

Dubois did not attend the press conference, but earlier told talkSPORT: “It wasn’t to be my night. But that wasn’t a low blow, it was a body shot. I’m gutted.”

Dubois was the overwhelming underdog but he had tipped the scales on Friday almost a stone heavier than Usyk’s 15st and 10lbs frame, and the Londoner did himself justice with a battling performance.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky appeared on the giant screens before the fight to deliver a rallying cry for his country in their war with Russia.

The crowd at the Tarczynski Arena chanted “Usyk, Usyk, Usyk” as the action got under way with Dubois determined not to be overawed.

The 25-year-old tried to hold the centre of the ring but Usyk’s accurate jab saw him shade the opening round.

Dubois was more adventurous at the start of the second but was briefly set back on his heels by some powerful shots.

Usyk stayed on the outside to dominate the next two rounds but Dubois was proving many pre-fight predictions wrong by remaining in the contest.

Usyk was put down by the accidental low blow in the fifth, but was given time to recover.

However, Dubois sensed this was his moment and the pair traded heavy punches.

The bad feeling between the pair was evident as the bell sounded and Dubois continued to focus on the Ukrainian’s body in the sixth.

Usyk upped the pace in the seventh, forcing Dubois to take a backward step and leaving the Londoner marked for the first time.

Dubois recovered in the eighth but in the final 10 seconds he was dropped to the canvas.

He managed to get back to his feet as the bell sounded but there was to be no respite for Dubois.

Usyk charged in again and put down Dubois again for the referee Luis Pabon to wave the fight off.

Fury had been expected to clash with WBA, IBF and WBO champion Usyk on December 23, but the British boxer was left blooded and bruised in a contentious points win over Francis Ngannou last month.

That fight was rumoured to be the preamble to the announcement of Fury taking on Usyk and even though the pair got in the ring together, the swollen eye and cut on the forehead of the Gypsy King pushed back the widely-reported proposed date, but an announcement is expected for Thursday.

Bob Arum, chief executive at Fury’s American promoter Top Rank, told Sky Sports: “I can confirm they will fight each other in Saudi Arabia.

“There will be a press conference in London for Thursday of this week – the 16th – and they’ll confirm the date and all the other circumstances of the fight taking place.

“Tyson is ready to fight in February, if that’s when it happens. Remember going in with Ngannou, who showed himself to be very talented, nobody had a book on him because he had never had a prize fight.

“Fighting Usyk is totally different because they have reams and reams of film on Usyk. So, I think Tyson will be a lot better prepared against Usyk than he was against Ngannou.

“I have great confidence in Tyson Fury.

“I really believe Fury against Usyk will be a classic match.”

Speculation is mounting of Tyson's future plans after the former world champion posted several videos online of him thrashing through some explosive pad workouts. 

Tyson's old rival Evander Holyfield, now 57, has also suggested he is ready to comeback for exhibition and charity bouts – even stating he is open to a third meeting with the man who infamously bit off a chunk of his ear when they last met in 1997. 

Nevertheless, British heavyweight Allen – who holds a career record of 18 wins, five defeats and two draws – is uneasy over the prospect, with particular concerns over Tyson making a return over 33 years since the start of his first reign as champion. 

"If I got offered the Mike Tyson fight, the money would be fantastic but it wouldn’t sit right, would it?" Allen said in an interview with talkSPORT 2. 

"A lot of people would laugh at this, but this is the fact – I would beat a 53-year-old Mike Tyson. 

"And that is the saddest thing any boxing fan wants to hear. For that reason alone, he should never box again. 

"I think fighting’s a young man's game. I'm 28 years old, I've had a lot of hard fights and people are saying to me, 'David, you’re coming to the end of your career now'. 

"I've talked to people saying I should stop before because I've had some hard fights. 

"People see him on the pads, a little minute clip, and say, 'Oh, he could come back and beat everybody'." 

Allen feels the romantic notion of Tyson giving Father Time the slip in his sixth decade obscures the reality of a painful career denouement at the start of the century, when a one-sided hammering against Lennox Lewis preceded defeats to Danny Williams and Kevin McBride – two fighters a prime 'Iron Mike' would have dealt with handily, in all probability.

"I remember 18 years ago him losing to Lennox Lewis after seven one-sided rounds," he added.

"A year later he lost to Danny Williams, then again he lost to Kevin McBride. This is 16 years ago.

"Mike Tyson's one of the greatest fighters of all time, but you can’t turn back the clock and he'll never be what he was. So I don't really want to see it."

Davis (25-0) claimed Barrios' WBA super lightweight title with an 11th-round TKO in Atlanta, becoming a world champion in a third different weight class. 

Davis dropped Barrios (26-1) with a hard left to the body with just over a minute remaining in the penultimate round, but the Texan managed to regain his feet. 

A quick left to the face by Davis immediately after the restart staggered Barrios and led the referee Thomas Taylor to end the fight. 

The victory allowed Davis to add the super lightweight strap to the WBA lightweight and super featherweight belts he already holds. 

In Las Vegas, Lomachenko (15-2) defeated Masayoshi Nakatani (19-2) by TKO in the ninth round after a dominant showing throughout the contest. 

It was his first fight since losing by unanimous decision to Teofimo Lopez in their lightweight unification bout on October 17. 

Fighting without a world title at stake for the first time since his professional debut in 2013, Lomachenko did what he needed to do against the Japanese fighter, who also had dropped a decision to Lopez. 

The Ukrainian pounded on his taller opponent from the opening bell and appeared to have taken each round handily before the referee stopped the fight following a flurry of shots by Lomachenko.

Davis knocked Santa Cruz out cold with a brutal left uppercut at the Alamodome in San Antonio, where the unbeaten American produced one of the KOs of the year.

Referee Rafael Ramos immediately waved off the fight as Santa Cruz was left motionless on the canvas – Davis living up to his billing as the "Tank" in his statement win.

"First, I want to say, I'm a pay-per-view star. Second, I ain't dodging nobody," Davis, who improved to 24-0 with 23 knockouts, said.

"I'm going to continue to show the world that I am number one I don't have to call nobody out. I'm the top dog and everyone knows that. Just set them up and I'll knock them down, one by one."

"He was just right there for it," Davis added on the knockout. "I baited him right in."

From the opening bell, the 25-year-old Davis was on the front foot and showcased his devastating uppercut.

The two champions exchanged punches as the bout continued in front of 9,000 fans, but Santa Cruz (37-2-1) often left himself vulnerable after trying to go toe-to-toe.

And Davis took full advantage in remarkable fashion – cornering Santa Cruz against the ropes in the sixth round and leaving the Mexican in a heap.

"I can't grade [my performance] right now but once I go back and look it over, I will be able to tell," Davis said. "[Landing uppercuts] wasn't a key but I tapped into what he was bringing.

"I know he was the taller fighter and he was crutching up and moving forward. So I threw the jab and then an uppercut to try and make him run into the shot."

That is according to former boxer turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who promised to quit his job if Ngannou pulls off a shock victory.

MMA fighter Ngannou, who has won 17 of his 20 professional fights, is making the move into boxing to face WBC heavyweight champion Fury in a lucrative exhibition bout in Saudi Arabia.

De La Hoya, though, is giving Ngannou little hope.

"As a boxing expert, as a fight expert, as a promoter now and as a boxing historian, if Ngannou beats Tyson Fury then I'll quit my job," De La Hoya told Stats Perform.

"And I love boxing, so I don't plan on quitting! 

"I think Tyson, inside a boxing ring, he's been in there with [Wladimir] Klitschko, he's been in there with [Deontay] Wilder, there's nothing that Ngannou can do to even make Tyson flinch. It's not going to be a good night for Ngannou."

Hall of Fame fighter De La Hoya is promoting Ryan Garcia, with whom he has had something of a complicated relationship. 

Garcia is going up against Oscar Duarte, and like his promoter, he does not see Ngannou having a chance against Fury, hitting out at the "crossover" fight.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to be disrespectful, but I don't see any reality where Ngannou wins," Garcia told Stats Perform.

"There's just no way. I'm a big fan of Fury and I think he's just an unbelievable fighter. He's beaten the best in boxing.

"I'm not going to think that a UFC guy is going to come in and beat him. It's just fun for the fans, man. 

"It's like these crossover TV shows where you get to watch your favourite cartoon being in another cartoon. That's all."

De La Hoya has not fought since he was beaten by Manny Pacquiao in December 2008.

A winner of 11 world titles in six different weight classes, the American has remained an influential figure in the boxing world as a promoter.

De La Hoya has now decided he wants to get back into the ring 12 years after his last bout.

"The rumours are true, and I'm going to start sparring in the next few weeks," he told ESPN on Wednesday.

De La Hoya's decision comes after Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr and Evander Holyfield raised eyebrows by revealing they would step back into the ring.

Yet De La Hoya says exhibition fights do not interest him.

He added: "It's a real fight. I miss being in the ring, I love boxing. Boxing is what gave me everything I have today, and I just miss it."

De La Hoya knows questions will be asked about his return after such a long absence.

"Look, it's been a long time, yes. But actually my jab feels faster than ever. I have to make sure that my conditioning is perfect, my health is good," he said.

"And that's going to take place in the next few weeks. So we'll see."

Brit Amir Khan tweeted before his former promoter confirmed his comeback: "I heard @OscarDeLaHoya is thinking of making a come back.Oscar Dela Hoya Vs Amir Khan."

IBF, WBA and WBO champion Joshua and Pulev were due to do battle at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20, but the bout was postponed due to the coronavirus crisis.

Bob Arum, who represents Pulev, last weekend stated that the rearranged fight will definitely not be staged in the United Kingdom, given that spectators will not be allowed in.

Ivaylo Gotsev, Pulev's boss, says Pula Arena in Croatia or a fight in England are among the possibilities for where the fight will be held and a decision will be made in the next few weeks.

He told Sky Sports: "We've given ourselves four weeks to explore any and all opportunities that are there for the fight.

"Eddie [Joshua's promoter Hearn] has spoken to you about the Middle East, which is a great possibility. It makes sense, because those countries were not as hard affected and if you take the right precautions, we could really have a safe environment.

"That's something I want to emphasise, and I can't say it enough times - safety first. We don't want to take a risk against anyone's health, no way no how. Whatever makes most sense, wherever we can have the best conditions under the current terms we're living in, that's where we're going to go in.

"There you have it, we have about three more weeks left on the exploring and then we'll see where the best options lie."

Gotsev thinks a fight in Croatia is a great option.

He added: "Eddie is well aware of it - our team is aware of it. We're discussing it as a possibility.

"Why Croatia? Well, first of all, when you look at the map of Europe, it's right there in the centre of the map, and it makes sense for our continent to host the event, and also the venue itself is very inviting, because it's an open-air venue.

"You could take the proper precautions and the proper measurements to look after people's safety first. This is not, just go out there and have a fight. No, we've got to protect the people that are involved with the fight.

"From participants to the timekeepers, to the judges. All the stuff that's involved in production of such a big event, we're looking after their health, so we could take proper precautions there and protect everyone.

"Croatia is one of the countries that was not hit very hard, as we know, and also with proper measurements, that could be the case where we're not exposing everybody. An open-air stadium where you could spread out the crowd a little bit makes perfect sense."

The former WBC champion had not fought since back-to-back defeats to Tyson Fury, the second coming last October.

But after just over a year away, Wilder made light work of underdog opponent Helenius, who was knocked down by a trademark big right hand with seconds left in the opening round.

Wilder had outlined this week his desire to land "the number one fight in the world" against Anthony Joshua, but he was open-minded about his next task following the defeat of Helenius.

"I'm down for whatever," Wilder said. "Andy Ruiz, [Oleksandr] Usyk or whatever. Deontay Wilder is back. The excitement in the heavyweight division is back."

Wilder enjoyed himself on his return at Barclays Center, adding: "We wanted to make this fun again.

"You can do this so long it can be a job, just something you are doing. We made it fun. It paid off big time."

The defeat of Helenius, his former sparring partner, saw Wilder improve to 43-2-1 with 42 knockouts.

Ahead of the much-anticipated heavyweight rematch in Las Vegas on February 22, the Wilder camp are in confident mood.

The WBC champion, who has recorded victories over Dominic Breazeale and Luis Ortiz since he last faced Fury, is expected to come in heavier as he bids to get the better of an opponent who has a new man in his corner.

"He came in unusually light," Deas told Sky Sports about Wilder's weight in the December 2018 bout, which ended in a dramatic draw.

"One of the problems with the first fight is that Deontay was so excited that he wasn't eating right. 

"He was 209lbs on fight night - by the time he knocked Fury down in the last round, he would have been a 200lbs, essentially a cruiserweight.

"We don't want that. We want Deontay to be bigger and stronger."

Fury's decision to replace trainer Ben Davison with SugarHill Steward is being seen as another positive for Wilder.

"Any time a trainer and a fighter who have done such wonderful things together split, it has to be an advantage for the next opponent," added Deas. "Chemistry is not an overnight thing.

"Ben was not just Tyson's trainer - he was a brother, confidant, friend, therapist. Those kinds of guys don't come along every day.

"I think a lot of Ben - for someone as young as he is, he is incredibly knowledgeable and strategic. He picks up on intricacies and nuances better than people who have been in this game for decades.

"Ben's potential is unlimited. I enjoyed the challenge against Ben, I know he saw every tiny detail, so I had to do the same.

"[SugarHill Steward] is a good trainer who comes from good pedigree from the Kronk Gym. But this is a big fight that he's stepping into."

Fury has vowed to secure an early knockout against Wilder in the fight between two undefeated heavyweight stars and Deas hopes he does indeed come out aggressively.

"That's good for me," he said of Fury taking risks.

"When you take a chance, they're called chances for a reason. Your risk reward goes up on both ends - there is the potential for success but the likelihood that you're leaving yourself open."

Going into Saturday's bout with Fury in Las Vegas, the American has defended his WBC heavyweight title on 10 occasions since winning it against Bermane Stiverne more than five years ago. 

That puts Wilder level with his inspiration, Ali, who made 10 consecutive defences of the same belt, as well as the WBA crown, before losing the titles to Leon Spinks in 1978.

Wilder insists he will convincingly handle Fury – with whom he shared a dramatic draw in December 2018 – to claim the outright record, and then promised to make the run even more spectacular.

"It will be an amazing feeling, my 11th consecutive defence," Wilder said to BBC 5 Live Boxing.

"It was a basic plan for me to get into boxing, become a journeyman and make a few dollars for my daughter.

"I never thought about being heavyweight champion of the world and being tied with my idol Ali.

"Once I've beaten Fury with a devastating knockout, I will go on even further to break the record and do more amazing things."

Despite his five-year reign and a stellar record of 42 wins, one draw and zero defeats with 41 knockouts, the 34-year-old feels it is only with this Fury rematch that he has finally achieved superstar recognition.

Wilder added: "It's been tough being here in America when your sport is not top of the podium.

"One of my guys described this as like a Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao fight because of all the calls coming in for tickets.

"It made me feel good – but I have to keep my head, stay focused and deliver on Saturday. 

"This is what I have always wanted and my moment in time has come. 

"It took a long time. I can smile and say I will not disappoint come Saturday night."