Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder looked lean and powerful, weighing in today for his 10-round battle against Tyrell Anthony Herndon, this Friday, June 27th, at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas.

Weigh-in Results: Wilder vs. Herndon

• Deontay Wilder 225 1/2 pounds vs. Tyrell Anthony Herndon 218 1/4 lbs

The fight is seen as a comeback for Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs), as his record is an abysmal 1-4 coming into the fight against Herndon (24-5, 15 KOs) on Friday. He’s been inactive for a year.

Losing to this level of an opponent surely would have to be the end for Deontay, but probably not. He’s likely to continue to hold on for a longer time, believing he can recapture the glory of his best years.

Friday night’s Wilder-Herndon event starts at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. It can be ordered on the following platforms on a pay-per-view basis: Sling PPV, Fubo, BLK Prime, and PPV.com.

Herndon’s History Against Top Opponents

Wilder should be able to defeat Herndon, 37, because this guy has operated well below him against lesser fighters throughout his career. When Herndon has stepped up against better opposition, he’s been blown out in knockout losses to Efe Ajagba [TKO 1] and Richard Torrez Jr. [TKO 2].

As long as Wilder unleashes his right hand, he can KO Herndon. However, if he fights scared like he did in his losses to Zhilei Zhang, Joseph Parker, and Tyson Fury, he’ll get knocked out on Friday by Herndon.

Wilder’s Punching Power: A Key Factor

“I’ve been dealing with a shoulder injury in the last four years. Certain things, you’ve got to keep it to yourself and go on,” said Wilder to BLK Prime. “The shoulder is great. This is the first time in a long time that I felt this way.

“I’m injury-free at this time, and it’s going to present itself. We’re going to see if it’s real or if it’s not,” said Deontay.

If Wilder still doesn’t pull the trigger on his punches on Friday night against Herndon, we’ll know that it wasn’t his shoulder that caused him to be gun-shy against Fury, Parker, and Zhang. He’s just lost his nerve.