Deontay Wilder’s Mother Speaks Out – ‘You’ve Ran Your Course, Enjoy Your Life’
Deontay Wilder’s mother, Deborah Wilder, has reacted to critics of her son following his loss to Zhilei Zhang in today’s online boxing news.
Wilder was stopped in the fifth round after being countered by Zhang’s right hook, followed by another right hand. Although Wilder beat the count, the referee called the fight off. It was Wilder’s second consecutive loss following his defeat to Joseph Parker. It also meant Wilder had one win in his last five fights, the 2022 win over Robert Helenius. The Bronze Bomber looked far from the man once considered the dangerous knockout artist in the division.
His right hand landed on Zhang but with no effect. His jab was also missing again, with Wilder’s right hand becoming predictable. That led to increased calls on Wilder to retire. At 38, he is not any closer to a world title nor is he likely to get the Anthony Joshua fight. And yet, Wilder has not stated that he is retiring. But in the meantime, his mother has hinted that it may be time to walk away.
Wilder’s Mother
“I texted him and said, ‘Son, we’re having a party for you. You gave us the best boxing in USA when boxing was dead. You’ve gotten older. You’ve ran your course in your journey. It’s time to celebrate. He brought back boxing to the USA, and we enjoyed all those knockouts. I taped them and I’m going to look back at them. We gonna to laugh, we gonna to cry. But we gonna be happy. Enjoy your life now. Teach other young men how to become a champion,” Deborah Wilder said
Wilder’s manager, Shirley Finkel, has responded to suggestions that Wilder should retire. Before the Zhang fight, Wilder suggested that he would retire if he came out second best. The fact Wilder was stopped devastatingly suggests he is no longer the knockout artist who captivated the heavyweight division.
Wilder’s Manager
Finkel admitted that the ‘old’ Wilder may have gone. The three fights with Tyson Fury understandably have taken their toll on him. Wilder was stopped in the second and third fights, while Fury was also seen getting off the canvas in the first fight during the final round to deprive him of victory. However, Finkel felt it was only right that Wilder took the time to decide what he wanted to do next.
“He is fine, he is sleeping now. He was very emotional last night obviously. We didn’t expect it to go the way it did. I have nothing but praise for the way Zhang fought, he was the better man. It is Deontay’s decision whether this is his last fight or not. I love the guy, I’ve been with him for 15 years and I don’t want him to get hurt. It is totally his decision, I will let him know how I feel but it is his decision and I support him whatever he does,” Shirley Finkel stated
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