Deontay Wilder returned to the ring on Friday night against Tyrrell Herndon over a scheduled 10 rounds in Wichita.
Of course, the scheduled distance has never been much of a concern for the former WBC heavyweight champion, who is among the most ferocious punchers in the history of boxing's glamour division.
He was made to wait longer than expected for the 43rd KO of his career, with Herndon eventually stopped on his feet in round seven.
But the past five years have been rough for the 'Bronze Bomber,' who suffered a first, bludgeoning career defeat to Tyson Fury in September 2020 before losing an epic rematch in a trilogy fight with the 'Gypsy King' the following October.
A first-round KO of Robert Helenius a year later proved a false dawn, as Wilder boxed ponderously to lose to Joseph Parker in December 2023 before being flattened by Zhilei Zhang in June last year.
This run of four defeats in his five outings — not to mention the manner of them — has led many to conclude the end is nigh for a man who turns 40 in October. However, speaking on Tris Dixon's Boxing Life Stories podcast prior to the Herndon fight, Wilder insisted he still harbours ambitions of becoming undisputed heavyweight champion.
A fanciful dream? Almost certainly, but now he's back in the win column, just watch the talk of potential big-name opponents roll in.
MORE: Deontay Wilder eyeing Anthony Joshua fight again
Deontay Wilder next fight? Anthony Joshua and four other options for 'Bronze Bomber'
Anthony Joshua
This will be a fraction of the flight it should have been, but we still need to see two of the leading heavyweights of their generation cross paths before more defeats for either man remove the possibility entirely.
Once upon a time, Joshua and Wilder were both unbeaten and held the four major heavyweight belts. It's a travesty we never got that fight between two devastating knockout artists then. Like Wilder, Joshua will return from surgery against an as-yet-unknown opponent later this year. Should he come through unscathed, the Wilder fight will remain hugely appealing as two legacies lie incomplete.
Jarrell Miller
In a roundabout way, Wilder has Miller to blame for the Joshua fight not happening. In June 2019, 'AJ' was supposed to announce himself to the American public with a Madison Square Garden appearance against the motormouth Miller. 'Big Baby' then tested positive for multiple banned substances, Andy Ruiz Jr. came in as a late replacement, and you know the rest.
Wilder still broods over not getting to Joshua with all the marbles on the line, and he would relish a crack at Miller, who rightly or wrongly is very much back on the scene. The build-up alone would be worthy of admission money. Wilder toppling the 330-pound slab that is his fellow American would be some sight and provide a more effective yardstick over his world-level ambitions than Herndon.
Jared Anderson
Anderson was earmarked as the man to pick up the American heavyweight baton from Wilder until he was flattened by Martin Bakole last year. He got back in the win column with a points win over Marios Kollias in February and a showdown against Miller has been widely mooted for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford card in September. Wilder versus the winner of that one would have plenty of takers.
Dave Allen
This fight would have felt improbable even a couple of years ago, as the two boxers were operating in different worlds. Cult hero Allen has underrated skills but has never won a British title. A viral knockout of the exciting but limited Johnny Fisher in their London rematch means the 'White Rhino' is riding on the crest of a wave.
A homecoming fight at Sheffield Arena awaits and his promoter Eddie Hearn has openly talked about targeting Wilder as a winnable fight, even accounting for advancing years and recent form. It's hard to legitimately make a case of that, and it's tough to see what's in this one for Wilder.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Oleksandr Usyk
If Wilder jumped the queue to face the No. 1 heavyweight on the planet, Fury's conqueror, then it would receive a lukewarm reception. He probably needed a more emphatic victory over Herndon and Joseph Parker, in particular, would be entitled to be pretty disgruntled. But Usyk doesn't plan on boxing much longer after his summer rematch with Daniel Dubois. If he beats the Briton again to become a two-time undisputed champion, what better way to sign off than completing the Fury-Joshua-Wilder set, giving Deontay the shot at glory he still thirsts for.