{"id":26261,"date":"2022-10-04T10:31:21","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T10:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/?p=26261"},"modified":"2022-10-04T10:31:22","modified_gmt":"2022-10-04T10:31:22","slug":"alabamas-hardest-hitting-son-deontay-wilder-eyes-bouts-against-fury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/2022\/10\/04\/alabamas-hardest-hitting-son-deontay-wilder-eyes-bouts-against-fury\/","title":{"rendered":"Alabama’s hardest-hitting son Deontay Wilder eyes bouts against Fury"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The fuse is lit, the clock ticks down. Three years from now, boxing\u2019s Bronze Bomber will detonate one final time. It promises to be an explosive, gory goodbye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As his 37th birthday draws near, Deontay Wilder has chosen when he will bow out. Now he must decide how. And with whom. Even after the bombs fall silent, do not expect him to go quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Once my boxing career is over, I\u2019m going to devote my time to producing and making music. That\u2019s where my heart is,\u2019 Wilder says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Deontay<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Deontay Wilder has said he is ‘soaking in peace and happiness’ ahead of his New York return<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I\u2019m here to make nothing but great fights,\u2019 Wilder says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, he must negotiate a way past Helenius, a former sparring partner. They will meet almost a year to the day since Wilder\u2019s trilogy with Tyson Fury came to the boil. Over 11 extraordinary rounds, the heavyweights traded four knockdowns before Wilder fell one final time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Wilder's<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wilder’s much anticipated return to the ring will be watched closely by those prospective opponents<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that second straight loss, the former WBC champion flirted with retirement until the day he was cast into stone. A statue in Alabama changed everything. Now, Wilder says, he is happier than ever. Valuable lessons came from defeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From his four-year-old child \u2014 who taught him that \u2018birds can p*** and poop at the same time!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From meditation and from ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew used by Amazonian tribes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s a new start. I\u2019d just say I\u2019m in a different mindset. I\u2019m soaking in my peace and happiness,\u2019 Wilder says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Robert<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Robert Helenius poses danger for the American and will be no walkover at the Barclays Centre<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I\u2019m in a great place in life. In spirit. And in heart, man. I can\u2019t explain it,\u2019 he smiles. Fans might struggle to square this tower of tranquillity with the snarling, spiteful heavyweight whose 42 wins include 41 knockouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018People don\u2019t know me,\u2019 Wilder insists. \u2018They see me in the ring and they judge me off that.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He explains: \u2018The saying for me is: to love him is to know him. I\u2019m always at peace, I\u2019m always happy. Because if you don\u2019t have happiness or peace, you don\u2019t have nothing.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They form a valuable currency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018You can be the richest man in the world but if you ain\u2019t happy and at peace, you\u2019re miserable.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Wilder<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wilder has said he is a lot happier and returns to the ring next month in a much better mindset <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is that something he realised from his own fall? \u2018Not at all. I definitely do meditation. I do ayahuasca. I guess a lot it stems from certain things like that,\u2019 he says. \u2018But also dealing with self\u2026 you have to be understanding and truthful with yourself. If not, you\u2019ll become someone else that you really don\u2019t like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018There\u2019s no guidebook on how we should live life or what we should do. It\u2019s all about what makes you happy and what will bring you peace.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

War and peace will collide when Wilder returns against Helenius, a fighter who has seen all of his traps and tells. The Bronze Bomber will need to adjust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018He knows everything as well as I know him. Sometimes that makes great fights,\u2019 he says. \u2018Just because we\u2019re friends, I\u2019m not in the business of holding back.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how much can he change?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The statue built in his honour in his home town gave him motivation to return to the ring <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I don\u2019t agree that you can\u2019t teach an old dog new tricks,\u2019 Wilder insists. \u2018If your mind is not capable of learning any more, you\u2019re just as good as dead.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often, the most potent medicines derive from defeat. And Fury gave Wilder a double dose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I learned that I\u2019m an amazing human being,\u2019 explains Wilder. \u2018I really have no limits attached to me. There was a lot of things that I don\u2019t think an average fighter would have mentally surpassed.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That much is true. During the third fight, Wilder showed unthinkable courage and grit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the rematch, however, came excuses. His heavy outfit, a spiked drink, Fury\u2019s loaded gloves. Wilder stands by it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018There\u2019s a lot of things that I knew wasn\u2019t right but I still went along with it because I wanted to see how strong I was. How could I endure? What\u2019s my powers? What limits do I have as a human being? I passed the test,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The American boxer has said he learned he was an ‘amazing human being’ after his defeat to Tyson Fury last year <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With those answers, however, came other uncomfortable truths. Wilder\u2019s boxing journey \u2014 born from the need for money to help his daughter, who was diagnosed with spina bifida \u2014 has been a remarkable tale of triumph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when his ferocious formula malfunctioned \u2014 four times Fury rose from the canvas \u2014 any sense of infallibility was extinguished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018The defeat wasn\u2019t difficult for me at all,\u2019 Wilder insists. \u2018They can\u2019t break my pride, they can\u2019t break my spirit… they say truth will set you free. And I\u2019m free.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a while after that third fight, Wilder turned away from boxing. With motivation lacking, attention turned elsewhere. He spent time with his family. He released a single, Everytime, alongside brother Marsellos. He focused on investment interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Wilder<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wilder said the defeat in the third bout against Tyson Fury, his second to the British fighter in total, wasn’t difficult for him ‘at all’ <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I don\u2019t need the business of boxing any more,\u2019 Wilder claims. \u2018It needs me\u2026 98 per cent of fighters don\u2019t have anything to show for it after it\u2019s over. But that won\u2019t be the case for Deontay Wilder\u2026 my family is secured whether I\u2019m alive or dead.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wilder\u2019s place in Tuscaloosa history is set in stone, too. In May, a statue of the city\u2019s hardest- hitting son was unveiled. The sight of grown men breaking down that day made Wilder relapse. He is addicted to \u2018the feeling of being on the edge of death\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fury and Joshua are in talks to meet on December 3. \u2018I hope they have a good fight and may the best man win,\u2019 Wilder says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He hasn\u2019t always been so diplomatic: he accuses Joshua of being \u2018made\u2019. Now neither has a belt but it remains a fascinating clash of styles. \u2018I\u2019m still willing to fight him and hopefully he\u2019s still willing to fight me,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There always has been a jarring chasm between the eloquent, charming Wilder and that bloodthirsty Bomber who takes over come fight night. Boxing will miss both when they\u2019re gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018After it\u2019s all over, I\u2019m going to pursue a lot of other things that I\u2019ve always had passion for,\u2019 Wilder says. Music. Investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I always like to motivate people… the greatness lies within you, not what other people think and their opinions,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I thank God for being where I am… I still have love in my heart.\u2019 Soon we will discover how much dynamite is left in those fists.v<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The fuse is lit, the clock ticks down. Three years from now, boxing\u2019s Bronze Bomber will detonate one final time. It promises to be an explosive, gory goodbye. As his 37th birthday draws near, Deontay Wilder has chosen when he will bow out. Now he must decide how. And with whom. Even after the bombs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":26262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_post_source_name":"","_post_source_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3295],"tags":[8153,8176,8713,11250,12741,12750,5810,5268,4483,7960,9214,9331,11995,2808,6083,7234,586,12246,6190,11180,5455,9026,6225,1445,7022,9343,12005,5423,6220,12309,5612,5058,990,11973,5396,8443,9636,8840,146,1722,5251,4482,3954,36,594],"class_list":["post-26261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-sport","tag-alabama","tag-barclays","tag-birthday","tag-bombs","tag-bout","tag-boxer","tag-boxing","tag-british","tag-bronze-bomber","tag-case","tag-child","tag-city","tag-collide","tag-daughter","tag-dead","tag-death","tag-deontay-wilder","tag-diplomatic","tag-dog","tag-drink","tag-family","tag-fans","tag-friends","tag-god","tag-human-being","tag-investment","tag-judge","tag-lies","tag-love","tag-men","tag-money","tag-music","tag-new-york","tag-one","tag-peace","tag-retirement","tag-richest-man","tag-strong","tag-truth","tag-tyson-fury","tag-war","tag-wilder","tag-will","tag-world","tag-who"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26261\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}