Deontay Wilder says he may end his 16-year pro career and retire if he loses his fight against Zhilei Zhang on Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Wilder says he’s in a must-win situation for his twelve-round fight against the two-time Olympian ‘Big Bang’ Zhang, and it’s obvious he is. Promoter Eddie Hearn chose him for the event, and it appears he was only chosen due to his name recognition to entice fans to order the fight on PPV.
This fight on Saturday for Wilder on the 5 vs. 5 Matchroom vs. Queensberry event on DAZN PPV will hint at whether he’s got anything left at 38.
Wilder’s Recent Struggles and Retirement Speculations
In a rambling interview this week, Wilder sounded like he was trying to convince himself that he’s still a warrior. What has held him back the last four years is trying to please people. I hate to say it, but the Bronze Bomber Wilder sounds hopelessly deluded.
Deontay’s record in his last four fights, 1-3, suggests that he’s not a top-level heavyweight anymore, and he may have never been in the first place during his five-year
Fans have been calling for the 38-year-old former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) to retire for three years since 2021. He’s had just two fights since and is coming off a loss to Joseph Parker last December in which he looked washed up.
The Pressure of a Must-Win Fight
“It’s going to be a different fight this time around, and if it’s not a different fight, retirement is highly considered,” said Deontay Wilder to DAZN Boxing about his fight this Saturday night against Zhilei Zhang.
“Yeah, I think so, and I like that pressure because when you’re under pressure, it brings the best out of you if you really want it,” said Wilder when asked if this was a must-win fight.
“I want to show the people I can deliver the man they were expecting. You have to have a mindset of a warrior of a killer. You just have to have it. Only the strong survive in this business, and if you don’t have that killer mentality, you’re not going to last long.
“Getting it back was talking to Turki, His Excellency. They don’t want the peaceful Wilder. It’s all about war,” said Wilder.
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