The Bronze Bomber returns! After seven months out of the ring with injuries, the undefeated WBC heavyweight champion – who has won all-but one of his 37 professional fights by knock-out – defends his title against his fellow-American Gerald Washington this weekend.

Cool, charismatic and with a right hand that could probably put King Kong to sleep, the 31-year-old from Alabama has big plans to unify the heavyweight division, which puts him on a collision course with our own Anthony Joshua (should he get past Wladimir Klitschko). Wilder believes that fight could be as big as Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier. He also believes he would be triumphant. GQ caught up with the 6ft 7ins pugilist specialist to find out more…

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GQ: How are you, Deontay? Are you fully recovered from your injuries?Deontay Wilder: Oh, most definitely. I think I’m OK, but I am looking forward to testing my hand in a real fight this weekend. You know, the doctor said it was completely healed, but until you step in the ring and you have to punch another object, hard, then you never really know if it is OK. Everything’s been great in training and in sparring, but the fight is the ultimate test.

How frustrating was it for you to be out for such a long time?It’s been terrible. You know when you are a child and you’ve been naughty and you aren’t allowed to go out and play? I felt like that. To be honest, it broke my heart a little bit. It made me sad actually, because I truly am in love with the sport of boxing. So to be coming back, finally, means everything to me. I’m alive, I’m well and I’m happy again. I’m back, baby.

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Is this going to be a big year for you?Absolutely. I have my comeback fight in February, then the next opponent we want is Joseph Parker. He has the WBO belt and that is something I want. I always tell people I never look beyond my next opponent, but I do look through them sometimes. And after Gerald Washington, I definitely want the Parker fight in April.

'I am a very special man, with very special talent, and very special power'

The big fight for you is the winner of the Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko fight. Who wins that for you?It is such a tough fight to call. It’s a really good match up, both have pros and cons. We know that Klitschko is coming off a loss to Tyson Fury, and he was already starting to show his age in the fight before that against Bryant Jennings. But when you are dealing with a fighter like Klitschko, you never know. I know he has been training hard for this fight and if the best Klitschko turns up, he will give Joshua a lot of problems. Klitschko is so confident for this fight because he knows how much more experience he has compared to Joshua. He knows what he is doing, he has dealt with a lot of different styles. And if Joshua has a weakness, it is his lack of experience. He has done a great job, he has dealt with everything that has been put in front of him, but is he ready for Klitschko? I’m not sure. That is my concern for him… is he ready for the elite level? If you ask me, my heart says Joshua but my head says Klitschko. But I want Joshua to win – because me and him is a superfight, for sure.

What is the view of Joshua in America? His last three fights have been against Americans [Charles Martin, Dominic Breazeale and Eric Molina] and he has won them all…He has, but I think they were good performances by Joshua and very bad performances from our guys. And although interest in him is growing, I don’t think he is widely known in the US. He definitely needs to fight over here if he wants to get noticed. Every foreign fighter has to prove himself in America to be taken seriously and to be successful. Until he comes here, displays his talent and shows the American people what he is about, they won’t be interested.

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If you and Joshua meet, do you see that as a fight taking place in America, in Las Vegas?For me, it doesn’t matter. I am the heavyweight champion of the world, I have travelled, and I will fight anywhere. I don’t let where I fight define me. But Joshua needs to fight here because he wants to be known here and he wants to test himself on the world stage. The bottom line is, to be The Man, you have to fight in America. That’s how you become a superstar.

'I’m alive, I’m well and I’m happy again. I’m back, baby!'

You and Joshua are more respectful of your opponents than some trash talking fighters. Is that important to you?Yeah, it is. But when it comes to those loud-mouthed guys, it is a lot more fun to shut them up in the ring! To get them out of there and knock them out. But me and Joshua, we are both a bit more respectful, treat people a little better. But at the end of the day, what you say or what you don’t say makes no difference… your fists do the talking. The big difference between myself and other fighters is that I mean everything I say. If I talk, it isn’t for the cameras. It isn’t for hype. It’s not an act. I say it ‘cos I mean it. People know that when it comes down to it, Deontay Wilder don’t play around. My brother always says: “The people respect D because they know D don’t play.” And that’s the truth. I think the same is true of Joshua. But we do still need the crazy guys too. The guys that run their mouths, talk trash and make a lot of noise. People like Shannon Briggs who, as old as he is, is still shouting from the rooftops and making himself heard. We need the Tyson Furys of this world. That’s what makes the sport of boxing interesting and exciting. If everyone was the same as me and Joshua, it wouldn’t bring as much drama or generate as much interest, would it?

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What do you think of the heavyweight scene at the moment? After you and Joshua, are there any other guys coming through, do you think?Most definitely. There are a lot of big fights that could be made in the future. You’ve got the likes of Joseph Parker out there. You’ve got Luis Ortiz. Then there is Dillian Whyte who made some big noise with his fight against Dereck Chisora. Then you’ve got David Haye coming back into the frame. There are a lot of big fights out there. And what’s great is that everyone is talking about heavyweight boxing now. The sport went through a period where people weren’t interested, and maybe that was down to Klitschko, or whatever. But nowadays, everyone wants to talk about the heavyweights and I think 2017 is the year when a lot of big fights are made. And lots of the guys who hold the belts want to unify the titles… instead of ducking each other, we want to get it on. It’s an exciting time. And personally, that’s what I want to do. I want to unify the division, get my hands on all the belts so there is no confusion and no debate.

If you and Joshua fight down the line, how do you see that fight going?I’d beat him like I have beaten every other fighter. There is no secret to it. For me, every fighter has a game plan and every fighter thinks they see loop holes in their opponent’s defence that they can exploit. So when the time comes, we will look at Joshua and do what we gotta do. But with Joshua, I don’t think it would need anything special… I think it would be the basics.

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And you think you would knock him out?Oh most definitely. I don’t have any doubt in my mind, I could knock out any man in the heavyweight division. The thing about me is that I have been blessed with God-given power. I don’t have to build up strength, I have been blessed with it. I do lift weights and train hard, but I am a very special individual – a very special man, with very special talent, and very special power. I can get any man, ANY MAN, out of there in a matter of seconds. That is the thing I love about myself. And also, I have shown myself, and the rest of the world, that even if I break something, I am still going to fight. No matter what happens, broken hand or torn bicep, I am still going to fight as though I am 100 per cent. When you have a fighter willing to do that, when he is seriously hurt and in pain but still fights, you’ve got a dangerous man on your hands. I don’t care what you have done before, or what you are capable of, if you come up against a guy like me, you are in trouble.

We’d love to see you and AJ in the ring together down the line… if styles make fights, that could be something very special.I agree with you 100 per cent. I think if he [Joshua] can surpass Klitschko, that raises his stock even more in the division and when that time comes for me and him to face each other, it would be one of the best fights in history. We’re talking an Ali-Frazier type of thing. Millions and millions of people would tune in for that, no doubt. So we hope and pray that Joshua can come through and we can make that fantasy fight happen once and for all. Deontay Wilder vs Gerald Washington is live on Sky Sports 1 on Sunday morning, February 26.