Deontay Wilder is looking to get back to winning ways next time out and ahead of that return to the ring he has been given a big warning on his career by former fighter turned pundit Paulie Malignaggi.
Wilder was once a fearsome knockout artist with a jack-hammer right hand that put to sleep everyone he faced until he ran into Tyson Fury, The pair battled it out over three fights with Wilder getting one draw before being stopped twice in the next two contests.
Since then he has fought just twice – one simple first-round knockout win over Robert Helenius and then a lacklustre points loss against Joseph Parker back in December out in Saudi Arabia.
Wilder has been training with former heavyweight Malik Scott for a number of fights now, but speaking via Fastest Payout Online Casino, Malignaggi questioned how much Wilder listens to Scott.
“I don’t know if he takes Malik seriously as far as his ability to take charge of a training camp, or whether it’s Wilder running the camp and Malik working on technique. A trainer should be doing both. But sometimes when a guy makes so much money they take that authority from the trainer and the trainer is walking on eggshells because he doesn’t want to lose his job.”
Malignaggi then gave Scott credit for the skills he has as a trainer but again questioned whether he was the right man for Wilder.
“Malik is a very good technical trainer but I don’t know if he’s the guy – I could be right or wrong – who can take charge of Wilder mentally and emotionally in a training camp, I think he can get you ready physically but you’ve still got to show up mentally, I don’t know who can do that for Wilder if he doesn’t want it.”
Wilder has promised he will be back to his mean and aggressive best next time he gets into the ring, and he must be: he can ill afford another poor showing if he still has dreams of becoming a two-time world heavyweight champion or of securing a super fight with Brit Anthony Joshua, which is one the boxing world has long been craving.
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