Five opponents for Deontay Wilder after Tyson Fury’s rival announced return including Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte

DEONTAY WILDER will return to the ring later this year after publicly ending discussions about retiring.

The former WBC heavyweight champion’s fight future was up in the air after his brutal 11th-round TKO loss to Tyson Fury last October.

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But the Alabama slammer recently told his hometown fans at the unveiling of his statue, “I can’t stop now.

“I must continue my journey. I love you so much. I can’t end it like this. This journey is not over yet. I must continue my journey.”

Wilder’s decision to keep fighting paves the way for some thrilling duels in the stacked heavyweight division.

With that in mind, SunSport thought it would only be right to go through potential opponents for The Bronze Bomber’s return.

Andy Ruiz Jr

Like Wilder, former Unified Heavyweight Champion Andy Ruiz Jr. is looking to get back into the world title.

The Mexican is currently scheduled to face division elder statesman Luis Ortiz in August.

But should he get through King Kong, a clash of former heavyweight champions would make sense.

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Derek Chisora

Should Wilder want to dive straight back into a shootout, he should look no further than British banger Derek Chisora.

Del Boy is always up for a fan-friendly firefight, and that would be a showdown with Wilder.

Two heavy punchers who love to go forward – what’s not to love about the fight?

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Robert Helenius

When former longtime champion Wilder wants a fight against someone who had a similar layoff as himself, a showdown with Finnish giants Robert Helenius makes sense.

Helenius was last in action on the undercard of Wilder’s ill-fated trilogy fight with Fury – stopping Adam Kownacki in the sixth round.

The Nordic Nightmare’s lack of footwork would favor the ponderous Wilder, who has had trouble dealing with fleet-footed opponents in the past.

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Dillian Whyte

Wilder vs Whyte, a showdown several years in the making, would be the perfect — and arguably the most winnable — bout for the pair’s respective returns.

Brixton banger Dillian Whyte became a mandatory contender for the WBC strap in November 2017 but never managed to get his hands on the American.

Given the pair’s respective styles, a long-overdue showdown would deliver nothing but fireworks.

And with both men losing to Fury in their most recent games, it makes more sense than ever for the heavyweights to finally settle their score.

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Anthony Joshua

Wilder’s biggest fight is undoubtedly a grudge match with former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

The pair’s rivalry dates back to 2017 and is still one of the most talked about in the division – although they’ve never fought.

But they could very well face each other in the near future if AJ loses his high-stakes summer showdown with Oleksandr Usyk.

The duel would be the perfect springboard for both men’s title aspirations and would sell out every arena in the world in no time.

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