June 4th 2024.
After suffering a devastating defeat to Zhilei Zhang, Deontay Wilder is facing calls to retire from boxing. His mother, Deborah Wilder, is among those urging him to hang up his gloves and move on from the sport.
Wilder, known as 'The Bronze Bomber', needed a win to revive his hopes of reclaiming the heavyweight title on Saturday night. However, he was knocked out in the fifth round, adding to his recent string of losses. His defeat to Joseph Parker in December dashed any hopes of a potential showdown with Anthony Joshua.
At 38 years old, Wilder has now lost four of his last five fights, with only one win since the start of 2020. His manager, Shelly Finkel, has hinted that he may be considering retirement. But his mother believes the time has come for her son to hang up his gloves and possibly turn to coaching the next generation of fighters.
In a text message to her son, Deborah Wilder expressed her pride in his achievements and encouraged him to celebrate his life and move on from boxing. She also suggested that he could use his experience and knowledge to mentor young boxers and help them become champions.
Zhilei Zhang's knockout victory over Wilder left the former champion in a heap, prompting his mother to believe it's time to move on and focus on a new chapter in his life. She wants him to enjoy life and make a positive impact in the sport by passing on his skills and wisdom to others.
Wilder, who held the WBC title from 2015 until his defeat by Tyson Fury in 2020, did not speak to the media after the fight. However, former undisputed champion Lennox Lewis has also advised him to retire and enjoy his life outside of boxing.
Lewis believes that Wilder has already achieved a lot in the sport and has a fulfilling life ahead of him. He believes it's best to leave the sport with his faculties intact and focus on other opportunities and experiences. After all, there's much more to life than just boxing.
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