Deontay Wilder is practicing self love in a big way, talking and hugging the statue of himself that was recently unveiled in his hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The former champion had a period out of the ring following a second consecutive loss to Tyson Fury, but returned emphatically in October with a first round stoppage of Robert Helenius.
Wilder credited the statue – and it’s symbol of the motivation he gives others – as a driving factor to convince him to stay away from retirement and fight on.
He’s continued the special bond with the artwork now by paying it a visit to bring in 2023. The heavyweight knockout artist shared a clip of the encounter on social media.
“It’s okay to love the goodness out of yourself, most times self-motivation is a must, then at times it’s all we need to stay alive.”
It’s okay to love the goodness out of yourself, most times self-motivation is a must, then at times it’s all we need to stay alive‼️#BombZquad#TilThisDay#GenerationalWealthpic.twitter.com/0LhQOzRo05
— Deontay Wilder (@BronzeBomber) January 8, 2023
In the clip, Wilder tells his bronze form that ‘there’s more to do’ and fans will be hoping for an announcement soon as to how he plans to go about that – that is, of course, once he gets a blanket to keep the statue warm.
He has been ordered by the WBC to face Andy Ruiz Jr in a final eliminator to decide who’s next in line for a shot at Tyson Fury’s title. Although the fight seems easy enough to make, his team have made public a preference to face Anthony Joshua instead.
The British former champion is in the midst of his own comeback, though, and is unlikely to pursue Wilder until the end of the year. With the belts tied up in undisputed negotiations between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, Ruiz seems the best heavyweight fight to make stateside.