In his last two outings, the road to the ring has been riddled with potholes for Deontay Wilder.
Last May, just weeks prior to fight day, mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin tested positive for the banned substance meldonium leading to a last minute opponent change and Wilder filing suit. In January of this year, Wilder’s original opponent Andrzej Wawrzyk tested positive for a banned substance and fellow Haymon stablemate Gerald Washington answered the call just as Chris Arreola did after the Povetkin fight fell apart.
On Saturday, Wilder makes his first return since undergoing hand and bicep surgery against a big, athletic challenger. Standing 6-feet-6 and 245 pounds Washington poses a physical threat but enters the ring relatively inexperienced in comparison to the defending champion.
When Saturday night is said and done, and the fight goes as odds makers predict, what’s next for Wilder? Here are three possible opponents Wilder could see should he pulls out the win.