Deontay Wilder may have thrown his final punch in a professional ring following a loss to Zhilei Zhang.
The former WBC Champion told Seconds Out pre-fight that defeat would see him seriously consider hanging up the gloves and China’s Zhang delivered it in devastating fashion.
Fans were hoping that Wilder’s negative peformance in a points loss to Joseph Parker earlier this year was a blip, but the more conclusive loss to 40-year-old ‘Big Bang’ confirmed for many that he just isn’t the fighter he once was.
Some have criticised Malik Scott in his role as trainer. The former Wilder opponent turned coach told The Second Wind podcast he had seen such opinions.
“Imagine seeing a killer their whole career, then all of a sudden you’re not seeing that killer anymore and it comes across like, if you take the facts away from it, wow he ain’t a killer no more because of Malik Scott.”
Scott said the only possible change in Wilder’s game was brought on by age, using past heavyweight ‘killers’ as an example.
“I can’t take Deontay’s killer instinct away. Only Father Time can do that. Because can’t nobody give you a killer instinct. This thing is in you or it’s not.
Just to see if I’m right about that, look at every killer up to the second half of their career. You think Kevin McBride would have a chance at beating an early Mike Tyson? Absolutely not. When fighters get on the second half of their career, they’re not 22 or 23 no more.”
He denied attempting to change ‘The Bronze Bomber’s style and admitted that the performance against a spiteful Zhang was ‘awful.’
“I’ve been in boxing since I was twelve years old. If someone think I’m stupid enough to try and change Deontay Wilder into a Muhammad Ali type of fighter…
My job is to train the fighter, and make him believe in himself and make him get through days he thinks he can’t. I’m not a miracle worker. We just had an awful night, and not even just the knockout. Even before the knockout, we had one mini good moment.”
