Deontay Wilder sends cryptic 'betrayal' message ahead of return
The 'Bronze Bomber' has not fought since losing to Zhilei Zhang but is set to make a return to action next week despite facing calls to retire
Former heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder has opened up about some of the struggles he has dealt with ahead of his return to the ring.
The 'Bronze Bomber' will return to the ring on June 27 and will take on heavyweight journeyman Tyrrell Herndon at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. Wilder, 39, has not fought since losing to Zhilei Zhang last June. Prior to the shock knockout defeating to 'Big Bang,' the American was convincingly beaten by Joseph Parker.
Wilder's last win inside the ring came back in 2022 against Robert Helenius. After losing four of his last five fights, many are wondering what the former world champion has got left to give to the sport. Despite the lack of activity, the boxing veteran announced that he would fight multiple times in 2025.
Should he come away unscathed and with his hand raised next week, he is hoping for a busy year in the ring. During a recent appearance on the Ariel Helwani Show, Wilder seemed rather content in his personal life, as well as describing boxing as too dangerous for the word 'sport.'
Fans were left bemused after the 'Bronze Bomber' sent a rather cryptic message ahead of his return, stating: "Anyone that has dealt with betrayal, you understand the feeling of it. You understand the pain that comes from it... It's like a dagger in your heart. I tell people it's 10 times worse than a heartbreak.
"I can't go into too much details of a lot of things... it gave me a lot of PTSD or some other things. It got so bad for me that I had to get a sports psychologist and it really helped me out in many ways. It allowed me to put a lot of things on the shelf. The result comes to who I am right now. I am still here to be able to smile, to be able to talk, be able to have the health. I am cautious. I am more laid back now than ever before and I am more protected than I have ever been because... when you do things for certain people and you realise that it really was not worth it."
Over the years, Wilder has been known to trade barbs with his rivals. But after his honest interview with Helwani, it seems as if much has changed in his life outside of the ring after his last outing. With Wilder hinting at having more than one fight this year, Dewey Cooper - the trainer of Francis Ngannou - has backed Wilder to call the 'Predator' out for a fight with a win over Herndon.
In an interview with Slingo, Cooper said: 'We know the numbers. It's a whole different ball game [in boxing compared to MMA]. So yeah, there's definitely opportunities there. And he's blessed to have him. Francis was meant to be a boxer this whole time, so it's great to see someone finally get a chance to really go with their true passion. And that's boxing.
' Deontay Wilder is the fight we always wanted, so I think it's a spectacular, intriguing matchup. We know about his power that goes without saying, we know about Francis's power. We definitely know about Deontay Wilder's power. That's a spectacular match-up. And I think it's the fight that we can definitely win. Don't be surprised if, after Deontay fights, he's yelling Francis' name because he wants that fight as well.'
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