Wilder returns with win, stops Herndon in seven

Deontay Wilder was a shadow of his old self, but came back with a win in Wichita.

Deontay Wilder didn’t look much of anything like the fearsome puncher of days gone by, but the 39-year-old “Bronze Bomber” returned with a win tonight, headlining a small pay-per-view show from Wichita, Kansas.

Wilder (44-4-1, 43 KO) stopped club fighter Tyrrell Herndon in the seventh round, when referee Ray Corona stepped in for the TKO.

Herndon (24-6, 15 KO) had been down in the second and sixth round, though neither case was exactly a vintage Wilder blistering. His legendary right hand wasn’t really that much of a factor, and the only clear way that he looked better in this fight than he did against Joseph Parker or Zhilei Zhang was the fact that Herndon was nowhere near the level of those guys.

Wilder does intend to continue this comeback, and there are a lot of name fighters and prospects out there who will probably be looking to get a fight with him, looking to take what’s left of Wilder’s own name value.

“I was laid off a long time getting myself back together,” Wilder said. “It’s been a long road for me and I’m just glad to be back in the ring. I know I didn’t give everybody what they truly wanted to see, but we’re going to get better and better as we keep going.”