There are fresh rumours that Deontay Wilder's teammate Tay Jones may not be retiring.
Wilder suffered a brutal knockout at the hands of Zhang Zhilei after six rounds, slamming his head into the canvas, marking his second straight loss.
Before the fight, “The Bronze Bomber” had boldly declared that he would hang up the gloves if he lost again and this was seen as a crossroads moment.
The former world champion is yet to officially inform the boxing world of his decision, but new sources appear to be casting fresh doubts over his future.
Wilder's teammate Jones, who was ringside in the Middle East, posted on Twitter: “It's not over yet Coach. Stand by.”
His cryptic post was in response to a fan who suggested Wilder's noticeable decline would mean the end of his overall successful career.
It was a tough match for the American, who once again looked far from his usual self, unable to let go and show off his monster power.
It was an aspect of his play he had vowed to improve after being accused of timidity in a points loss to Joseph Parker six months ago.
For Wilder, there aren't many big fights on the horizon now that he's far removed from a world title shot and a mega-fight with Anthony Joshua.
Given that he has had some tough fights, including three bouts with Tyson Fury, calls for him to retire are more prevalent than ever.
The American returned after two losses to the “Gypsy King” but the Brit's promoter, Frank Warren, believes he should have stayed away from the ring after that.
“Fighters are the first to know and the last to admit that their powers are gone and they're not the fighter they used to be,” Warren said.
“I have told fighters to retire, and I have done so many times, but the question is whether they will listen.
“And unfortunately in boxing, you can't go somewhere else.
“That's the problem. And there are people around who keep saying, 'Oh, just one more drink, just one more drink.'”
“But you can't do that, because all you're doing is getting mileage and it's going to come back to haunt you later.”
“I think he should have hung up the gloves after fighting Tyson because that fight took a lot out of him.”
“But let's hope that's the case and that this is his last game.”
He has been a big star in the sport for many years, but his future success could mean the public will tarnish his great achievements.
