Tyson Fury and Lennox Lewis want Deontay Wilder to hang up his gloves. The two heavyweight champions have urged the former WBC title holder to call it quits after his recent losses.
Wilder's career has taken a downturn lately. He's lost four of his last five fights, including defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. These losses have raised concerns about his declining performance and potential health risks.
Fury, who's getting ready for a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in December, shared his thoughts on the Pound 4 Pound podcast. He spoke highly of his former opponent but suggested it's time for Wilder to step away from the ring.
"Being truthful, I'd like to see poor old Deontay retire from boxing. When I beat Wilder he was 44-0 with 43 knockouts, and he knocked out the guy who went the distance with him in a rematch. That means he knocked out every single person he ever faced."
Fury pointed out the toll their trilogy took on both fighters:
"Obviously he lost the three fights to me. We took a lot of years off of each other's lives. That war that ended in the eleventh round by knockout, that takes a lot out your tank and you don't recover from fights like that. Between me and Wilder in our trilogy there were ten knockdowns. It takes a lot out of a fighter."
He added that Wilder's recent performances show he's not the same fighter:
"Even when he's come back and had a couple of fights since against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, he's only a shadow of his former glory. The only thing left of Deontay is his name. And that's it. So I'd like to see him retire for sure before he does damage to himself."
Lennox Lewis, who retired in 2003 after becoming the undisputed champion, echoed Fury's sentiments on social media:
"The Bronze Bomber told us before the fight [with Zhilei Zhang] that he would retire if he didn't win. I think that's a wise decision."
Lewis emphasized the importance of Wilder's long-term health:
"He's more than carved out a life in which he can take care of his daughter, so before he suffers any more damage, it's best to leave the game with your faculties intact because there's a lot more life to live after boxing."
Despite these calls for retirement, Wilder has confirmed he'll return to the ring in 2025. He's claimed a broken arm affected his recent performance, suggesting he's not ready to step away just yet.
Wilder's recent losses to Parker and Zhang have been particularly tough, leading many in the boxing world to question whether he should continue fighting. As the debate continues, all eyes will be on Wilder's next move and whether he'll heed the advice of these heavyweight legends.
