David Haye, the former cruiserweight and heavyweight champion, says Deontay Wilder hits harder than any heavyweight he's sparred with. Haye calls Wilder's power "bone-crushing."
Haye had a great boxing career. He won his first 10 pro fights by stoppage and became a unified cruiserweight world champion in 2008. He moved up to heavyweight and beat Nikolai Valuev for the WBA title. But injuries caught up with him, and he retired in 2018 after losing twice to Tony Bellew.
Now, Haye's looking back on his time in the ring. He shared his thoughts about sparring with Wilder on social media.
Sparring with Wilder was a revelation in power and skill. Many years ago when Wilder was an up-and-coming prospect I sparred with him. By a mile, he is the biggest puncher I've been in the ring with and I can only judge that with big 16oz gloves on and the head guard … It's a terrifying thought taking those bone-crushing right hands, and his left hook is no joke.
Wilder, known as "The Bronze Bomber," built a reputation as a knockout artist. He won his first 32 fights by KO. People thought he was unbeatable until he fought Tyson Fury. Wilder drew the first fight with Fury but lost the next two by knockout.
After a year off, Wilder came back and knocked out Robert Helenius in one round. But he's lost his last two fights to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. At 39, some think Wilder's career is on the ropes.
But Wilder's not done yet. His trainer, Malik Scott, says Wilder will keep fighting. They want to get his killer instinct back.
