Wilder’s Wichita Comeback Led to a Bruising Chisora Showdown
Deontay Wilder returned to the ring on June 27, 2025, stopping Tyrrell Herndon in the seventh round at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. The former heavyweight champion ended a year-long layoff with a victory before continuing his comeback against Derek Chisora.
Two knockdowns set up the Wichita finish
Wilder sent Herndon down in the second round and again in the sixth. Herndon continued, but the accumulating punishment left him struggling to provide a sustained response.
Referee Ray Corona stopped the contest at 2:16 of the seventh with Herndon still on his feet. The bout had been scheduled for ten rounds, and the result gave Wilder a needed success after a difficult run of defeats.
A London meeting followed the return
Wilder next faced Chisora at the O2 Arena in London on April 4, 2026. Unlike the Herndon contest, this heavyweight meeting reached the end of twelve rounds.
The fight included rough exchanges, pressure from Chisora and knockdown drama. Chisora ended up among the ropes in the eighth and again faced trouble in the eleventh, while Wilder also received a count during the later action.
A split decision completed the second step
Two judges favored Wilder, scoring the contest 115–111 and 115–113. The third returned 115–112 for Chisora, producing a split-decision victory for the American.
The two completed bouts gave Wilder different kinds of tests: a stoppage return against Herndon and a full-distance struggle against an experienced heavyweight rival. Both added concrete results to a career that had spent much of the preceding layoff surrounded by speculation.
Sources
- Premier Boxing Champions: Herndon and Chisora dates, venues and outcomes
- The Ring: Herndon knockdowns, seventh-round stoppage and preceding layoff
- WBC: London exchanges, knockdowns and split-decision scores
