Deontay Wilder isn't hanging up his gloves just yet. The former WBC Heavyweight Champion has decided to continue his boxing career, despite recent setbacks in the ring.
At 39 years old, Wilder's choice to keep fighting comes after a tough stretch. He lost back-to-back fights, including a brutal knockout loss to Zhilei Zhang in his last bout. These losses followed a series of fights with Tyson Fury that ended Wilder's long reign as champion.
Wilder's coach and close friend, Malik Scott, revealed the boxer's decision in an interview with Space Port Sweden. Scott said:
"Fighting is in Deontay's heart. He'll fight again. Deontay will fight again. He just moves on his own terms and does things how he wants to do them."
The Tuscaloosa, Alabama native, known as "The Bronze Bomber," had been a dominant force in heavyweight boxing. Before his trilogy with Fury, Wilder had stopped 39 of his 40 opponents. His power made him one of the most feared punchers in the sport.
After the Fury fights, Wilder took a year off before returning with a first-round knockout of Robert Helenius. But then came a decision loss to Joseph Parker and the knockout defeat to Zhang.
These setbacks, along with the cancellation of a planned comeback fight in April, led many to think Wilder might quietly retire. But Scott insists that's not the case:
"Especially when it comes to the business aspect of things because like I said he doesn't need this, so he ain't going to do it if all the terms are not right. He's still Deontay Wilder. He's still big time boxing and people still want to see him. He'll fight again."
It's not clear yet if Wilder will take a tune-up fight or jump straight back into big matchups. Potential opponents like Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua could be on the horizon for the hard-hitting American.
Wilder's last fight against Zhang ended in a fifth-round TKO loss, a stark contrast to his earlier dominance. But with his power and name recognition, Wilder remains a draw in the heavyweight division. He's proven he can change the course of a fight with one punch, making his future bouts must-watch events for boxing fans.
