Deontay Wilder has decided to keep fighting, changing his mind about retiring after his recent loss to Zhilei Zhang.
The former WBC heavyweight champion got knocked out in the fifth round by Zhang in Saudi Arabia last June. That defeat left Wilder with just one win in his last five fights.
Before the Zhang bout, Wilder hinted at possible retirement if he lost. He told TNT Sports:
"It's definitely a must-win fight, especially for me, and it sets up everything for the future. If I don't get the win, we don't know where we'll go from here. Retirement could be a very big and serious conversation. This is a very important fight for me and in terms of my future."
But now, "The Bronze Bomber" has changed his tune. He told TMZ Sports:
"For me, the best is yet to come. Yeah, we're still going. We're still here, we'll just get things together."
Wilder's recent struggles started with his trilogy against Tyson Fury. He failed to win any of those three fights. After that, he bounced back with a first-round knockout of Robert Helenius. But then Joseph Parker beat him comfortably on points last December.
Throughout his career, Wilder has been known for his knockout power. He's finished 42 of his 43 wins by KO. His trainer, Malik Scott, has mentioned Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou, and Wladimir Klitschko as potential future opponents.
We don't know yet when Wilder will return to the ring. But it's clear he's not ready to hang up his gloves just yet.
