Deontay Wilder Sets Retirement for Age 40; Wants Three Fights a Year
After taking some time to get his head together following his second professional defeat, Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (42-2-1, 41 KO’s) came to realize that he was not done with the sport. Sure, suffering a second knockout loss to WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury was taxing and left him reevaluating. Ultimately though, it was not enough to send him packing from the sport.
“A lot has gone on in my life in a positive way and here I am now for my second reign, more so to motivate, to inspire. It was one point in time that I was questioning myself, ‘why would you come back?’ Coming back for what? Because I [began boxing] for my daughter […] I have eight children now…so I had a meeting with them and got all my kids together and asked them, ‘how do you feel about daddy coming back?’ All of them was for it though. It wasn’t no surprise to me, they all love seeing their father in and out of the ring. They think I am the best dad in the world.”
GIVING BACK
Now that he has his mind set on returning to sport, Wilder feels that he will be here for a while. Prior to his setbacks with The Gypsy King, The Bronze Bomber boasted on several occasions that he would fight on until he was forty years old. With his October 15 dance date with Robert Helenius rapidly approaching, the heavy-handed Alabaman is singing that same old song anew.
“I’m enjoying this ring while I want to motivate and help a lot of other fighters. I want to motivate and help a lot of other people outside the ring because I only have until I am 40. I still want to continue my three fights a year.”
Let’s see how fresh and rejuvenated Wilder appears this fall!
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By: Bakari Simpson
