Latest news with #DeontayWilder
Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Deontay Wilder Ahead Of Comeback Fight: I Never Thought About Quitting
Former WBC heavyweight boxing champion Deontay Wilder makes his return to the ring on Friday, June 27, when he faces Tyrrell Herndon in a scheduled 10-round affair at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. The event is going by 'Legacy Reloaded' and will stream on BLK Prime. The 39-year-old Wilder has not fought since June 1, 2024, when Zhilei Zhang stopped him via TKO in the fifth round of a matchup at Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The loss dropped Wilder to 43-4-1 and put his five-fight record at 1-4. Wilder was 42-0-1 when he put his WBC heavyweight title on the line in a rematch against Tyson Fury in February 2020. Fury scored a seventh-round KO in that matchup. The two met in a trilogy bout in October 2021. That fight lasted until the 11th round but ended in the same manner, with Fury earning a TKO. A year later, Wilder scored a first-round knockout win over Robert Helenius in Brooklyn. However, Wilder's next two outings ended in losses. He fell to Joseph Parker by decision in December 2023 and followed that with the loss to Zhang. Wilder's run as WBC champ lasted from 2015 through 2020. He defended his crown 10 times before the loss to Fury. The two had met for the first time in December 2018, with that fight ending in a split draw. Wilder left the ring after the loss to Zhang, a fight he called a 'must win' without an in-ring interview or a post-fight media appearance. Some speculated that he would retire from the sport. However, Wilder dismissed that talk in April of this year. "There were never any retirement questions in my mind whatsoever, because I couldn't understand what was going on with me at this moment in time and pinpoint why certain things were happening," Wilder said. "After the Zhang fight, I finally realized what was going on with me and I immediately took action. I called Shelly, who is my manager, I said 'Shelly, I know what it is now', we shared some deep thoughts that night and I immediately got help for it. "In my mind, retirement was never there because I knew I wasn't finished." "I feel like a different person," Wilder recently told Ariel Helwani. "This Deontay Wilder, he's more at peace, mentally, physically and emotionally. A lot of things that I was doing, I did for others. I was selfless. I took care of a lot of people. You can only do so much for so many people, and at certain times, you can do it for a certain length of time where it's really not [appreciated]. But you don't really understand anything until time passes, until situations happen, and you start lingering around and you start noticing certain things, and you start understanding things. And then you realize, it's time to let certain things go. "At this moment in time, I'm selfish. ... It's all about me having fun and going there and just having a great time. And that's the difference — I feel more free. When you do it for yourself, you ain't worried about letting anyone down, you ain't worried about making mistakes, you ain't worried about anything. "If anyone has dealt with betrayal, you understand the feeling of it," Wilder continued. 'You understand the pain that comes behind it, especially when you have done stuff for so many people. You took people to places where they never would have been without you in their lives, or present at any given time. And then when they betray you, it's like a dagger in your heart. I tell people it's 10 times worse than a heartbreak. But for me, it's just been a domino effect. Year after year after year.' "I've never thought about giving up, I never thought about quitting," Wilder said. "I never thought about retiring. These are all rumors and stuff, and [this is what I'm] saying — people don't know [anything]. Most people want to be first [rather] than be correct. We are living in a world today where you want to put everything out on social media to get clicks and likes to make some money." "I want [people] Wilder is ranked No. 12 by the WBC. His opponent on June 27, the 37-year-old Tyrrell Herndon (24-5-0 with 15 KOs) is unranked. Herndon is coming off a May 3, 2024, six-round split-decision win over Rudy Silvas (7-1-1).
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'I feel like a different person': Deontay Wilder goes deep on mental struggles ahead of boxing comeback
Nearly two decades into a professional boxing career that's seen him crowned heavyweight champion and then cast out as a shell of his former self, Deontay Wilder finds himself back where few thought he'd ever return: Preparing for another fight — and perhaps, another run at a heavyweight title. Wilder returns to the ring on June 27 in Wichita, Kansas, against the little-known Tyrell Herndon. "The Bronze Bomber" will end a one-year layoff for the fight, which he hopes will be the first of three bouts in 2025 as part of a rebuilding process following back-to-back defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. Advertisement At age 39, many believe Wilder has given all he can to the heavyweight division and the sport of boxing, Wilder, however, firmly believes that a new and improved version of himself awaits his rivals — a version that is free of pressure and expectations, and able to fight for himself and his own needs. "I feel like a different person," Wilder said on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show." "This Deontay Wilder, he's more at peace, mentally, physically, and emotionally. A lot of things that I was doing, I did for others. I was selfless. I took care of a lot of people. You can only do so much for so many people, and at certain times, you can do it for a certain length of time where it's really not [appreciated]. But you don't really understand anything until time passes, until situations happen, and you start lingering around and you start noticing certain things, and you start understanding things. And then you realize, it's time to let certain things go. "At this moment in time, I'm selfish. ... It's all about me having fun and going there and just having a great time. And that's the difference — I feel more free. When you do it for yourself, you ain't worried about letting anyone down, you ain't worried about making mistakes, you ain't worried about anything. Advertisement "If anyone has dealt with betrayal, you understand the feeling of it," Wilder continued. "You understand the pain that comes behind it, especially when you have done stuff for so many people. You took people to places where they never would have been without you in their lives, or present at any given time. And then when they betray you, it's like a dagger in your heart. I tell people it's 10 times worse than a heartbreak. But for me, it's just been a domino effect. Year after year after year." The former champion has parted ways with numerous people in his inner circle in recent years. He split from now-former trainer Mark Breland after Breland threw in the towel in the seventh round in the second of his three fights with Tyson Fury in 2020. In Wilder's most recent bout, longtime trainer Jay Deas was also not visible in the heavyweight's corner either, with Malik Scott now serving as head coach. Wilder additionally spent his peak years with Al Haymon's Premier -Boxing Champions, but his past two bouts came on Riyadh Season cards, and his next fight is being promoted by Global Combat Collective. "It's like an orange. People will squeeze you until they feel like all the juice is out of you," Wilder said. "And then, when all the juice is out of you, they'll throw away the hull. But the thing is, for one man's trash is another man's treasure. And if you understand anything about oranges and hulls and different things that you can use to cook, you know that the hull, you don't throw it away, because it can become edible. You can still use it. "You can't see that you got f***** heavy baggage around you. You can't understand that right now [you're trying to go up] and this motherf**** ain't going nowhere. Until you realize that, the people that are around, the baggage that you're holding, the burden that needs to be cut, [they're] still lingering around. Once you start cutting s***, you start floating up, you start elevating, you start rising." Advertisement "[The people around you] have benefited [from] you, the fruits of your labor," he continued. "You risk your life for others' entertainment. Everybody wants what you have, but don't want to put in the same amount of work that you have put in. They just want to benefit from you. There's no more." It's clear Wilder believes he was used by those he once trusted, that people who claimed to care about him were only on the journey for what he could give them while he was at the top of the sport. Once they felt he had nothing left to offer — no more victories, fame, or money — they discarded him. Advertisement However, Wilder is confident that what he's left with still has enough juice to fuel another run in the sport. And he plans to undergo that run with a smaller team, removing the deadweight in the process. Despite Wilder's struggles inside and outside of the ring, he insists that reports of him hanging up the gloves were wide of the mark. "I've never thought about giving up, I never thought about quitting," Wilder said. "I never thought about retiring. These are all rumors and stuff, and [this is what I'm] saying — people don't know [anything]. Most people want to be first [rather] than be correct. We are living in a world today where you want to put everything out on social media to get clicks and likes to make some money." While many continue to ask what's left for the American to accomplish in the sport, Wilder desires to be remembered as a fighter who strived to be the best. He said, after being pulled out by former trainer Breland in the second Fury fight, that he was willing to go out on his shield and die in the ring, if it came to it. "I want [people] to say that I [never gave] up at all," Wilder said. "I got up on these bended knees and I got up ... and got myself back out there, each and every time, because I wasn't satisfied with the last performance or the last thing I've done. In my life, I always feel like there's more to do in this world. No matter what I've obtained or what I may have in life, I still feel like there's more to do."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'I feel like a different person': Deontay Wilder goes deep on mental struggles ahead of boxing comeback
Nearly two decades into a professional boxing career that's seen him crowned heavyweight champion and then cast out as a shell of his former self, Deontay Wilder finds himself back where few thought he'd ever return: Preparing for another fight — and perhaps, another run at a heavyweight title. Wilder returns to the ring on June 27 in Wichita, Kansas, against the little-known Tyrell Herndon. "The Bronze Bomber" will end a one-year layoff for the fight, which he hopes will be the first of three bouts in 2025 as part of a rebuilding process following back-to-back defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. Advertisement At age 39, many believe Wilder has given all he can to the heavyweight division and the sport of boxing, Wilder, however, firmly believes that a new and improved version of himself awaits his rivals — a version that is free of pressure and expectations, and able to fight for himself and his own needs. "I feel like a different person," Wilder said on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show." "This Deontay Wilder, he's more at peace, mentally, physically, and emotionally. A lot of things that I was doing, I did for others. I was selfless. I took care of a lot of people. You can only do so much for so many people, and at certain times, you can do it for a certain length of time where it's really not [appreciated]. But you don't really understand anything until time passes, until situations happen, and you start lingering around and you start noticing certain things, and you start understanding things. And then you realize, it's time to let certain things go. "At this moment in time, I'm selfish. ... It's all about me having fun and going there and just having a great time. And that's the difference — I feel more free. When you do it for yourself, you ain't worried about letting anyone down, you ain't worried about making mistakes, you ain't worried about anything. Advertisement "If anyone has dealt with betrayal, you understand the feeling of it," Wilder continued. "You understand the pain that comes behind it, especially when you have done stuff for so many people. You took people to places where they never would have been without you in their lives, or present at any given time. And then when they betray you, it's like a dagger in your heart. I tell people it's 10 times worse than a heartbreak. But for me, it's just been a domino effect. Year after year after year." The former champion has parted ways with numerous people in his inner circle in recent years. He split from now-former trainer Mark Breland after Breland threw in the towel in the seventh round in the second of his three fights with Tyson Fury in 2020. In Wilder's most recent bout, longtime trainer Jay Deas was also not visible in the heavyweight's corner either, with Malik Scott now serving as head coach. Wilder additionally spent his peak years with Al Haymon's Premier -Boxing Champions, but his past two bouts came on Riyadh Season cards, and his next fight is being promoted by Global Combat Collective. "It's like an orange. People will squeeze you until they feel like all the juice is out of you," Wilder said. "And then, when all the juice is out of you, they'll throw away the hull. But the thing is, for one man's trash is another man's treasure. And if you understand anything about oranges and hulls and different things that you can use to cook, you know that the hull, you don't throw it away, because it can become edible. You can still use it. "You can't see that you got f***** heavy baggage around you. You can't understand that right now [you're trying to go up] and this motherf**** ain't going nowhere. Until you realize that, the people that are around, the baggage that you're holding, the burden that needs to be cut, [they're] still lingering around. Once you start cutting s***, you start floating up, you start elevating, you start rising." Advertisement "[The people around you] have benefited [from] you, the fruits of your labor," he continued. "You risk your life for others' entertainment. Everybody wants what you have, but don't want to put in the same amount of work that you have put in. They just want to benefit from you. There's no more." It's clear Wilder believes he was used by those he once trusted, that people who claimed to care about him were only on the journey for what he could give them while he was at the top of the sport. Once they felt he had nothing left to offer — no more victories, fame, or money — they discarded him. Advertisement However, Wilder is confident that what he's left with still has enough juice to fuel another run in the sport. And he plans to undergo that run with a smaller team, removing the deadweight in the process. Despite Wilder's struggles inside and outside of the ring, he insists that reports of him hanging up the gloves were wide of the mark. "I've never thought about giving up, I never thought about quitting," Wilder said. "I never thought about retiring. These are all rumors and stuff, and [this is what I'm] saying — people don't know [anything]. Most people want to be first [rather] than be correct. We are living in a world today where you want to put everything out on social media to get clicks and likes to make some money." While many continue to ask what's left for the American to accomplish in the sport, Wilder desires to be remembered as a fighter who strived to be the best. He said, after being pulled out by former trainer Breland in the second Fury fight, that he was willing to go out on his shield and die in the ring, if it came to it. "I want [people] to say that I [never gave] up at all," Wilder said. "I got up on these bended knees and I got up ... and got myself back out there, each and every time, because I wasn't satisfied with the last performance or the last thing I've done. In my life, I always feel like there's more to do in this world. No matter what I've obtained or what I may have in life, I still feel like there's more to do."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean O'Malley, Deontay Wilder, Khalil Rountree, Michael Chiesa, Malcolm Wellmaker and more
Ariel Helwani is BACK ... IN ... YOUR ... LIFE! Join "The Ariel Helwani Show" live on Uncrowned and YouTube at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT/6 p.m. UK time as Ariel and the Boys In The Back react to the weekend in combat. Monday's lineup can be seen below. Advertisement 1 p.m. ET: Khalil Rountree previews his UFC Baku main event against Jamahal Hill. 1:30 p.m. ET: Deontay Wilder looks ahead to his June 27 return against Tyrrell Herndon. 2 p.m. ET: Ariel and the gang react to the combat sports weekend. 3 p.m. ET: Sean O'Malley stops by following his UFC 316 title loss to Merab Dvalishvili. 3:30 p.m. ET: Malcolm Wellmaker looks back at his monster knockout of Kris Moutinho at UFC Atlanta. 4 p.m. ET: Michael Chiesa reacts to his UFC Atlanta win over Court McGee. Catch all new episodes of "The Ariel Helwani Show" live every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET on Uncrowned and The Ariel Helwani Show's YouTube page. To listen to every episode, subscribe on Spotify or iTunes.
The Independent
13-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Dave Allen names the former heavyweight champion he would like to fight
Heavyweight Dave Allen has named the former champion he would like to face next, saying that he thinks he could beat former WBC champion Deontay Wilder. Speaking on TalkSport, Allen said that he thought Wilder, 43-4-1 (42), was a good stylistic match for him. He added that he thought he could beat Wilder. Wilder, at present, is slated to fight Tyrrell Anthony Herndon on 27 June in Wichita, Kansas. Allen, 24-7-2 (19), said: 'When I talk about Deontay Wilder, I smile. I think, stylistically, he's a good match for me. I can beat him. I think beating Deontay Wilder – I'd be a very, very happy man.' After beating Johnny Fisher in five rounds in their May rematch, Allen is currently riding a career high. He came into the May fight after losing a controversial split decision to Fisher in their December bout. A stalwart of the scene, Allen has spent recent years losing to the top-placed heavyweights – Frazer Clarke, David Price, Luis Ortiz, Dillian Whyte – while registering come-from-behind underdog victories against the likes of Lucas Browne. Elsewhere in the interview, Allen said that he was aware of his limitations as a boxer but reiterated that he had the skills and the physical ability to beat Wilder. One of his past issues, he said, was a lack of discipline early in his career, saying that it was an attribute he lacked that has kept him from the top echelons in the sport. He said: 'I've sparred the best heavyweights in the world in Usyk and Fury. And I'm not that good, and that's fine. I accepted that a long time ago. Deontay Wilder isn't what he was. Deontay Wilder is beatable now. I'm realistic. I'm very realistic. I know what I can and can't do.' He went on: 'On the back of that, I'm training hard, and I can't get hurt. That's the most-important thing. I can earn a lot of money and get out of boxing while healthy. I'm training hard and I'm realistic. That's what matters to me.' Should a Wilder fight not emerge, Allen said that he would like to fight for the British title. That, he said, was always his ambition. He added: 'My granddad was a big boxing fan, and my dad had thirty pro fights but never won the British title. My grandmother always said to me, 'Win the British title; that would mean everything to us.' Chisora is another dream fight, but the British title would be everything.' Allen said that he should be fighting again in September in Sheffield, although he did not name a specific date or opponent. However, he did say that he would headline the bout. Watch the very best boxing with a DAZN subscription DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
