Wilder was previously linked with a clash with the Ukrainian champion before negotiations cooled.
Usyk explored a fight with Wilder earlier this year after losing interest in a fight with Fabio Wardley and walking away from one of his belts. Discussions surrounding a heavyweight showdown circulated for months, but the fight never reached the contract stage.
The landscape has shifted rapidly. Usyk is now expected to defend his title against kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven in Egypt in May, part of a plan he says includes three more fights before retirement.
That shortlist also includes a possible meeting with the winner of Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois, plus a third fight with Tyson Fury. Wilder’s name was not mentioned.
The former WBC heavyweight champion said the omission caught him off guard.
“Oh nice, no Deontay Wilder there? He’s changed course,” Wilder told the Daily Mail.
Wilder suggested that his reputation as one of the division’s most dangerous punchers could play a role.
“Most times when people meet me and see me, there comes an intimidation factor,” Wilder said.
Yet he insisted the situation did not change his direction.
“We’ll see if it happens, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t crush my dreams,” Wilder said. “I’m still here whether he’s here or not, no matter who’s here, I’m not here for any other guy in the division.”
Wilder’s immediate attention now turns to another assignment. The American puncher is scheduled to face veteran Derek Chisora on April 4 in London, a fight that came together after negotiations with Usyk dragged on.
Wilder said the timeline surrounding the Usyk discussions simply moved too slowly for a fighter at his stage of the game.
“Although we were in talks with Usyk, we still didn’t have a date or a venue; we were still scrambling,” Wilder said talkSPORT.
“In boxing, things either go very slow or very fast. There is no in between. And it was very slow.”
At 40, Wilder said waiting around is not an option.
“I’m an older fighter; I can’t sit around like a young fighter. So while we were negotiating with Usyk, we started negotiating with Chisora.”
By the time talks with Usyk resumed, the Chisora deal had already reached the finish line.
“And then, when we got it signed with Chisora, that’s when Usyk’s people came in and said, ‘Okay, let’s go, we’re ready,'” Wilder said. “But I didn’t intend to do Chisora like that.”
For Wilder, the focus now shifts to the London fight. Chisora remains one of the division’s most tenacious pressure fighters, a man who forces exchanges and keeps the pace high.
The task is clear. Wilder still possesses a right hand that can end a fight once it lands. Now he needs to start racking up wins if he wants his name mentioned again when the heavyweight belts come up for grabs.
