We may not have seen the last of Deontay Wilder in the ring. After suffering back-to-back defeats, these to Joseph Parker and then Zhilei Zhang, Wilder has heard the calls, the pleas, for him to call it a career and retire. But the former WBC heavyweight champion has defiantly said how “the best is yet to come.” That may be some stretch, but Wilder could reappear in the ring next year.
TMZ Sports spoke with Wilder at LAX in Los Angeles, and an upbeat Wilder had quite a few things to say. And a fight between Wilder and Francis Ngaannou was among the subjects “The Bronze Bomber” spoke about.
“Yeah, we’re still training……I broke my arm way back in November some time, and I didn’t know. And I had two tears on my shoulder, stuff like that. I thought it was like old injuries and stuff. So I never went and got it checked out, I just thought I could go to my therapist…..but I had an MRI and everything was f****d up and I didn’t know, ‘cos I got a high tolerance for pain,” Wilder said. “For me, the best is yet to come, I always say that. Yeah, we’re still going, we’re still here. I’m just getting things together.”
Wilder went on to say that he has had “a lot of offers coming in, from different countries,” and that he is very much down to taking a fight with Ngannou. Wilder said he has nothing but respect for Ngannou, with the former champ expressing his condolences regarding the family tragedy Ngannou suffered with the recent loss of his son. But Wilder is open to negotiations starting as soon as possible, and as such we shouldn’t be surprised to see a fight between Wilder and Ngannou get made. Both fighters seem to want it.
And say what you will, you would watch if this fight took place. For sure. And as to who wins, well, whoever lands a bomb first, that’s who wins. But has Wilder got any bombs left in his arsenal at this stage of his life and career?
“Any fight is competitive. You got a man who has two hands and two feet, and he’s got a heart, that will to win. You got competition, you got a fight on your hands. That’s why when you step in the ring you respect every man that steps in there,” Wilder said in closing.
Wilder is currently 43-4-1(42) and he recently turned 39. Will there be one more fight, or more, to come from “The Bronze Bomber?”
