DEONTAY WILDER has ended all retirement talk and will be back in the ring next May.
Over the weekend, Tyson Fury dealt a severe beating to the American heavyweight.
After being dropped three times by Gypsy King, he was knocked out in the eleventh round.
It was the culmination of an epic trio encounter at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena before a sold-out crowd.
After the brutal battle that saw Wilder suffer numerous injuries, there were concerns Wilder might retire from boxing.
The encounter resulted in the 35-year-old breaking his hand. He will undergo surgery next week.
Shelley Finkel, 42-2-1 brawler's manager, has confirmed that he will return next in April or May.
After being told by medics that he couldn't compete for six months, he was banned from a quick return to the ring.
Finkel spoke exclusively to SunSport: "He was sore, but he was OK. He was home yesterday."
WILDER RESPECTS FURY
"He is healing. If everything is okay, he will probably enter the ring in April or May next year.
He confirmed that Wilder does respect Fury, but his "mind wasn't really there" after 11 brutal rounds.
He said: "Him (and I) have spoken about that and he does respect Fury.
"I believe his mind wasn’t really there. I think Deontay would give Fury a big hug if he saw Fury now."
Wilder drew initially with Fury (33), in 2018. He was then defeated in the rematch last season, losing the WBC title.
He refused to accept his loss and blamed everything except a Gypsy King boxing masterclass.
