Wilder Says He Is Back – ‘Want A Body On My Record, We Want That Killer Back’

Deontay Wilder says his killer instinct is back, as he prepares to box Zhilei Zhang on June 1. 

Wilder and Zhang serve as the co-main event attraction on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol card. Both boxers have plenty to prove coming into the fight. Wilder is coming off a one-sided, unanimous decision defeat against Joseph Parker in December. The Bronze Bomber only won a single round, as the loss ended hopes of the Anthony Joshua fight. Wilder and Joshua had signed a two-fight deal, but it was scrapped following Wilder’s loss.

Zhang also lost to Parker. While he dropped Parker twice, Zhang was outboxed in the remaining rounds, giving Parker the decision. Wilder shut down talks of retiring, blaming jetlag for his under-par performance. Wilder’s trainer, Malik Scott, also hinted that Wilder’s usage of ayahuasca removed his killer instinct. Wilder is now focused on showing the world what he can do. 

Wilder Reacts

“They [media and authorities] said how I wasn’t so good for boxing because I wanted a body on my record. But now you get these people, the Saudis, involved and they said, ‘We want that monster back, we want that killer back, we want the man who speaks like that’. And when you have people like that who appreciate you for what that is, it makes you want to change back quickly. I’ve got the green light that I can be that and not be judged. I can be that and not be crucified “When I did it earlier everybody crucified me, stuck me with thorns and stabbed me,” Wilder said 

A win is vital if Wilder desires to secure the Joshua fight. Joshua has said he sees himself retiring within two years, meaning a fight must happen soon. AJ will likely box Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk and perhaps Wilder before calling it quits. Wilder is also 38, showing he has a few years left at the top level. The American will want to maximise his value by earning the biggest purses.

Zhang’s Aim

But Zhang is also a man on a mission. The Chinese has spoken about fighting Joshua in the past. They faced off once in the 2012 London Olympic Games. Joshua came out on top, but at 40, Zhang is performing at the best level of his career. Zhang accused Eddie Hearn of avoiding a fight, saying he was keeping Joshua far away. But before that can be considered, Zhang wanted a statement win over Wilder.

“I will be his last dance partner. I don’t know if he will see the end of the dance, but I will make sure he enjoys it. Me and Deontay are both big punchers. When Chinese power vs. Alabama power, we’re going to bang the heck out of each other. Don’t blink, everything happens in one punch. I don’t think I lost my last fight, but three months, here I am again. Wilder is here to knock me out. I want to do the same thing to him. I’ll see him in the ring. I represent Queensberry now. Matchroom is history and I’m here to beat them,” Zhang stated 

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