Wilder Parts Ways With Scott – Is It The Right Move?

Deontay Wilder has parted ways with Malik Scott as we look at why the latter was a bad fit.

The news comes shortly before Wilder’s fight against Tyrrell Herndon on June 27. During his time with Scott, Wilder only secured one victory in four fights. That was a first-round KO of Robert Helenius in 2022. That was followed by defeats against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. Despite repeated calls for Wilder to leave Scott, the Bronze Bomber continued to stand by him up until now. The pair have now confirmed they have parted ways.

"We’re brothers, and always will be brothers. We talk all the time and there’s nothing bad between us. Sometimes things change and this was one of those times," Wilder

"I wanted the best for Deontay. He did things to electrify the sport and something needs to be reinvigorated. He called me and let me know we were doing things different in the corner for this fight. We thanked each other for all we did for each other. He’s in good hands and I know he’s in good hands," Scott

The Right Move?

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The consensus was that Scott tried to turn Wilder into a boxer: Wilder’s success was based on his devastating one-punch knockout power from his right hand. While he was labelled as a slugger, he used his athleticism to become a KO artist. Under Scott, there was an attempt to transform Wilder into a technical, defensively sound boxer who fought off the back foot. This went against Wilder’s strengths, stripping him of his identity.

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There was also less reliance on his jab and the right hand: In the fights against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, Wilder was seen moving backwards, not throwing his jab. He was also rarely letting his right hand go. There was also the apparent loss of "Killer Instinct." When Wilder had opponents hurt, he seemed less capable of finishing them. He had hurt Zhang in the round, where he was ultimately knocked out, something which was unheard of during his peak.

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Scott also came up short compared to Wilder’s previous trainer, Mark Breland. The latter was fired after the second Fury fight for throwing in the towel. He developed Wilder into a powerful, aggressive fighter, where he was at his best. Scott was seen as being too friendly with Wilder. And given Wilder had knocked him out during their pro fight, it was hard to see The Bronze Bomber getting the respect of Scott. Wilder’s father, Gary Wilder, criticized the relationship, saying Scott was too much of a "buddy." Boxing fans also felt it was the right move for Wilder.

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