Deontay Wilder will keep fighting, according to his trainer Malik Scott. The former heavyweight champ won't retire despite recent losses and calls to hang up his gloves.
Wilder's had a tough run lately. After his trilogy with Tyson Fury (one draw, two defeats), he knocked out Robert Helenius in the first round. But then he lost two fights in Saudi Arabia. Joseph Parker outboxed him over 12 rounds, and Zhilei Zhang stopped him in five.
These losses got people talking. Boxing legend Lennox Lewis and others said Wilder should retire. But Scott doesn't agree. In an interview with Genting Casino, he said Wilder's not done yet.
"Zhang is a very big, dangerous southpaw. Deontay got caught with a shot that put him in an unbalanced position, and Zhang did his job. 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."
Scott believes Wilder can still compete at the highest level. He pointed out that even the best fighters lose sometimes. Right now, Wilder's taking some time off. He's enjoying life, getting into real estate, and investing. He just got back from a nice vacation with his kids.
The trainer thinks people are too quick to call for retirement in boxing. He gave some examples:
"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."
So, what's next for Wilder? A fight with Anthony Joshua could still be huge. It might not be as big as it once was, but Scott thinks it would pack any arena. There's also talk of a possible bout with Francis Ngannou, the former UFC champ, if he keeps winning and wants the fight.
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"They are still mega fights. The AJ [fight] Maybe doesn't have the same juice it once did, but it would still sell out any arena or stadium. Just seeing those two in the ring would be a joy for the fans. If Ngannou keeps doing what he's doing and still wants that fight, it could be huge as well. I'm proud of Deontay. He's still in a position to make these big fights happen."
Fans are still waiting to hear from Wilder himself about his future plans. But for now, it looks like the Bronze Bomber isn't ready to call it quits just yet.