Deontay Wilder faces a tough decision following back-to-back losses.
The feared power puncher held the WBC Heavyweight World Title for half a decade before meeting his match in Tyson Fury. The Brit – after drawing the first fight – stopped Wilder quite brutally on two occasions to take and keep the belt.
Wilder was unhappy with Olympic Gold Medalist turned coach Mark Breland for throwing in the towel in the second bout. He split with him soon after.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ then considered hanging up the gloves but came back, cornered by Malik Scott, with a first round blowout of Robert Helenius. Another period of inactivity followed before he faced Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia, a win guaranteeing a big-money bout against Anthony Joshua.
Parker won a near shutout on the cards against an uncharacteristically gun-shy Wilder. The American then took a fight with big-hitting southpaw Zhilei Zhang, saying pre-fight that he would consider retirement if he lost. He was knocked out in five rounds and has since been advised by the likes of Lennox Lewis to make good on his claim.
No stranger to calls for retirement, it’s perhaps not a surprise that British fan-favourite Derek Chisora thinks the American can and should fight on.
Speaking to Seconds Out, he advised the 38-year-old to split from coach Malik Scott, link up with his old team – namely Breland and Jay Deas – to ‘come back stronger.’
“I think Deontay Wilder needs to change his team and he’ll come back stronger than ever. [I think change] everything. He has to go back to his old trainer and just do what he used to do. The jab and the right hand straight through the middle, none of this trying to box. He’s a power puncher. He needs to touch the jab and put it through the middle. Cause he hasn’t chucked it since…”
Although he didn’t finish the thought, the answer would be Helenius, at least convincingly. Still, it’s highly unlikely Wilder will split from Scott, a former opponent and close friend. Fans are yet to hear from the fighter as to whether or not he intends to fight on.
Chisora has recently had his 48th fight – a hard-fought win over Joe Joyce – and will get to 50 before he calls it a day. He has called out Wilder in the past.
