Deontay Wilder would probably be grinning ear to ear if he heard what Joe Rogan just said. After all, the past few years have been anything but smooth sailing for him. Well, except for 2022—when he scored a brutal first-round knockout against Robert Helenius.

Since then, it’s been a rough ride. His biggest roadblock? Tyson Fury. Their rivalry haunted him until 2021, with back-to-back losses knocking him off his throne. To add on, 2023 threw another curveball his way. He lost to Joseph Parker, missing out on the WBC International Heavy and WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight titles. Then, in 2024, he took another hit—Zhilei Zhang stopped him with a fifth-round TKO.

So yeah, it’s been a rollercoaster. But hearing what Rogan really thinks of him might be the spark the 39-year-old needs. So what exactly did he say? Let’s find out.

Deontay Wilder Hits Like a Truck, But…

A few days ago, Joe Rogan was geeking out over Deontay Wilder’s ridiculous knockout power in one of his podcasts with Michael Kosta. Joe Rogan said he’s “the greatest one-punch knockout artist in the history of the heavyweight division.” And honestly, he’s got a point. The Bronze Bomber isn’t just a knockout artist. Rogan also noted that the former WBC Heavyweight champion’s record was insane at one point. “Like 39 Knockouts out of 40 fights,” Rogan stated. Well, that’s not exactly an everyday story—it’s a rare phenomenon, isn’t it?

But do you know what makes it even crazier? It’s the fact that Deontay Wilder isn’t even the biggest heavyweight. When he fought The Gypsy King for the first time in 2018, Fury was walking around at 256½ pounds. And Wilder? Well, he was just 212½. Now, that’s over a 40-pound difference! And yet, it never mattered. Why? Because Wilder’s right hand is the equalizer.

As the conversation continued, Joe Rogan further brought up his 10th-round TKO victory against Luis Ortiz in 2018 to make the point. And you see, Ortiz isn’t exactly a piece of cake. He was on the Cuban Olympic team, a super-skilled guy. Ultimately, that didn’t make a difference. Rogan pointed out, “He’s just waiting, waiting, wait blam!! and he hits guys and they’re like what the fu–.” And that’s the thing about Wilder!

But there’s something else. After considering him a slick boxer, Joe Rogan also pointed out a bizarre detail, moving away from the compliments. Pointing at the 43-4 boxer’s feet, he said, “His movement is sometimes awkward. He’s criticized for having a bad foot where his legs look like sticks. He has the skinniest legs you’ve ever seen in your life, like it’s crazy.” But leaving that aside, if you ask about the power? “Out of this world,” Joe Rogan concluded.

Wilder isn’t your typical heavyweight like Zhilei Zhang or Tyson Fury for example. He’s not the biggest, or most technical, but when it comes to sheer knockout power, he’s in a league of his own. But the question remains, when is he coming back in the ring?

Stephen Shaw fueled the Wilder fight rumors

In the beginning of 2025, rumors started flying about Deontay Wilder making a comeback. The opponent you ask? It’s Stephan Shaw. When? In April on BLK Prime PPV in Atlanta, Georgia. Sounded like a solid fight, right? Well…it wasn’t.

Shaw himself shut down the rumors in an interview with sports journalist, Hans Themistode. He seemed just as surprised as the rest of us. “I just woke up one morning and they were talking about the fight,” he said. Here’s what exactly happened, someone called him up, telling him the news was spreading. But in reality, not a single offer was received either by him or his team.

However, Shaw saw an opportunity to fight the former heavyweight champion played along for a bit. Shaw admitted that he himself reshared the story to keep the hype going. “Today I saw this information on a blog and shared it. I feel that this fight would be perfect for me,” he said. And honestly, he has a point. The boxer had a history with Wilder. He’s been sparring with him since 2017, from the Gerald Washington fight all the way up to Wilder’s last bout against Zhang. So, in his mind, it made sense to run along with the idea before even checking in with his manager. But in the end, he had to admit, “Honestly, right now it’s all smoke and mirrors.”

Shaw clearly wanted this fight. But with this rumor falling apart, the big question is, when is Deontay Wilder coming back? And if he does, who should he fight next?