Whilst many heavyweights have thrived under the Saudi spotlight, the career of Deontay Wilder is one that has spiralled into disaster since Turki Al-Alshikh’s invasion into the sport. Estranged from the heavyweight title picture and left with little options, many fans have called for the ‘Bronze Bomber’ to walk away from the ring and the American power-puncher now appears to have come to a decision.
The Tuscaloosa talisman has been blessed with devastating knockout power throughout his long career, arguably giving him a puncher’s chance against any heavyweight on the planet and a shot at reclaiming his WBC world title.
However, a whitewash defeat to Joseph Parker cost Wilder a career-defining showdown with Anthony Joshua at the end of last year before a stoppage defeat to Zhilei Zhang appeared to mark the final nail in the coffin for any hopes of seeing Wilder return to the heavyweight throne.
Yet, in an interview with Genting Casino, Wilder’s trainer and former opponent Malik Scott declared that his fighter would not be hanging up the gloves just yet, and opened the door for a possible encounter against Derek Chisora – who is looking for an opponent for a December outing in Manchester.
“Deontay has the heart of a lion and is willing to go out on his shield in the ring. He’ll be back. Deontay will fight again. He still has a bright future in boxing, especially at the high level. Losses happen in boxing, even to the greatest fighters. Right now, he’s doing very well; recovering, enjoying life, and heavily involved in real estate and investing. He just had a great vacation with his kids. Life is good for him.”
“I remember a time when Derek Chisora wanted to fight Deontay just because he’s into fighting dangerous people. That’s what he likes to do. There was a time when it seemed Team Eddie Hearn didn’t want AJ to fight Deontay. And that’s understandable, considering AJ was their investment, and they had their own path mapped out. As for Ngannou, he and Deontay have been in talks before.
“These fights have always been in the mix, but they just never materialised. It’s a blessing that you can take two losses, but your name and reputation are still so big that you’re mentioned at the highest level. Deontay’s still in the realm of big fights, still in a position to make a lot of money and history. He’s very blessed.”
Additionally, Scott went on to explain why he and Wilder refuse to listen to the doubters who are advising him to hang up the gloves, detailing why such negative energy should be instead used as motivation.
“The same type of people who want Deontay to retire told Muhammad Ali not to fight George Foreman. They said George Foreman shouldn’t have fought Michael Moorer. They said Simon Brown shouldn’t have fought Terry Norris, and that Meldrick Taylor was too young to fight Chavez.
“They said Chavez would walk through Pernell Whitaker. These naysayers are part of the sport, and we need them. They provide the energy that keeps the fighters motivated and pushes managers and promoters. In my opinion, they’re wrong 8 out of 10 times, but it’s all part of the game.”
Wilder will almost certainly need a win in his next bout if he is to maintain his position as one of the biggest names in the heavyweight division. Although, now bereft of the confidence that made him so feared, a battle with Derek Chisora appears a lot less one-sided than it did when ‘Del Boy’ called for the fight two years ago.
Boxing Social is now on WhatsApp! Join our channel by clicking here and getting all the latest boxing news direct to your phone.