KEY POINTS

  • Deontay Wilder comments on fighters that chase after paychecks over meaningful fights
  • "The Bronze Bomber" admits he would not miss boxing after he has decided to retire
  • Wilder will be stepping into the ring against Tyson Fury for their trilogy fight on October 9

As more and more of boxing’s top fighters are content with getting their paychecks, former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder comments on the sport’s current state.

Appearing on 78SPORTSTV, Wilder could not hide his frustration and disappointment with how boxing’s biggest names continue to duck each other.

“You have so many guys coming up with excuses to avoid fighters. The best not fighting the best.”

The former heavyweight king believes that the sport has come down to discussions of money instead of proving their worth in the ring.

“The Bronze Bomber” has a point in this as boxing’s top champions have been taking what most observers see as “easy fights” instead of taking the ones that make the most sense for their legacies.

The peak of a boxer’s career rarely lasts long as the wear-and-tear of extended in-ring wars cuts into a fighter’s longevity.

However, legendary fighters like Manny Pacquiao and Roy Jones Jr. continue to prove their worth in the ring because both men, despite having cemented their legacies, have nothing else to do.

On the wrong side of 30 himself, Wilder’s in-ring career is coming to a close soon, and while the Alabama native thinks he still has more to offer, he knows that it will not last long.

Fully embracing his in-ring mortality, Wilder cannot help but share his thoughts on the matter.

“Sometimes I’m just like, ‘I can’t wait for the point in time where I do retire’. I don’t think I’m gonna miss it. Once I retire, they’re gonna miss me.”

Before he does decide to hang up the gloves for good, Wilder has a score to settle with England’s Tyson Fury.

The two first met in the ring in December 2018, fighting to a controversial draw and needing a second fight to determine who truly deserves the title of heavyweight king.

Fury blitzed Wilder for the better part of seven rounds en route to a TKO finish, winning both the WBC heavyweight championship and the vacant Ring magazine title.

Wilder activated his rematch clause in March 2020, leading to their scheduled fight on October 9 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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