Deontay Wilder strolled into a small conference room at London's Marriott Hotel in April, promoter Shelley Finkel standing close behind him, promoting his upcoming bout with Zhang Zhilei. Wilder exuded confidence, but also seemed to understand the pressure that came with it. Depending on the outcome, the fight with Zhang, Wilder said, could be his “last dance.”
His heavyweight showdown with Zhang on Saturday is arguably the most intriguing bout on a stellar card billed as “5-on-5: Matchroom vs. Queensberry” in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Wilder has lost three of his last four fights – two by knockout against Tyson Fury – and the bout offers the 38-year-old a chance to bounce back after losing a one-sided decision to Joseph Parker in December last year.
But does the former WBC champion have what it takes to return to the top? Does he still have the fighting spirit that powered him through 13 world title bouts?
“you [fighting spirit] “Or even if you don't have it, I'm that type of person. I have it,” Wilder said. “I don't have to get mad at you or dig up what you said. It's not going anywhere, it's just suppressed.”
An aggressive knockout artist with 42 knockouts in his 43 professional wins, his wild side has rubbed off on Wilder.
“Everyone wants to see that monster come out. But when he was here [people said] “'Oh my goodness, he's too rough for boxing, he talks too violently, he wants to have bodies on his record'… Everybody was criticising me, everybody was tarnishing my name. Everybody thought I was bad for business.”
But business at heavyweight is booming right now.
Wilder will be hoping to make his mark in Saudi Arabia, where the division's biggest fight is currently taking place.
If Wilder wins, he will face Saudi Arabian Jared Anderson in Los Angeles on Aug. 3 in what will be the first boxing card organized by the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority in the United States. A loss on Saturday would spell disaster for Wilder at a time when the division is going from strength to strength.
“I fell in love [with boxing] “At some point I had to get it back,” Wilder said.
The powers that be in the division still seem to believe in Wilder. Not only are rival promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren pulling the same line and teaming up for Saturday's show, but who would have thought that Hearn, who had disagreements with Wilder and Finkel, would then call Wilder and offer him a one-fight deal to represent him, giving him a chance to return to the big stage?
“I'm a very mature, intelligent guy, so when it comes to certain things … it's a business,” Wilder said. “I can smile with my enemies, I can laugh with my enemies, I can eat with my enemies, I can hunt my enemies. I have mouths to feed.”
“We're all businessmen. … Every time it's a situation of, 'Okay, I hate you, you hate me, but business is good,' you know?”
A mega fight between Wilder and fellow former champion Anthony Joshua has been rumored for years and could be in the future.
One thing is certain: the big fights are being scheduled at heavyweight, and it'll be up to Wilder on Saturday to show he still deserves to be in that division.
