Deontay Wilder

Deontay Wilder
Wilder in 2015
Statistics
Real name	Deontay Leshun Wilder
Nickname(s)	The Bronze Bomber
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 7 in (201 cm)
Reach	83 in (211 cm)
Nationality	American
Born	(1985-10-22) October 22, 1985 Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	37
Wins	37
Wins by KO	36
Losses	0
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  United States Olympic Games 2008 Beijing Heavyweight

Deontay Leshun Wilder (born October 22, 1985) is an American professional boxer. He has held the WBC heavyweight title since 2015, and in doing so became the first American world heavyweight champion in nine years, which was the longest period of time in boxing history without an American heavyweight champion. As an amateur he won a bronze medal in the heavyweight division at the 2008 Olympics. This led to his nickname of "The Bronze Bomber", which Wilder coined after Joe Louis, who was also from Alabama and was known by the nickname of "The Brown Bomber".

Wilder possesses an athletic physique and uses his natural attributes as part of his boxing style. He is an outside fighter who uses a sharp left jab to establish range, and has formidable knockout power in his straight right hand. He is undefeated as a professional with a 97.2% knockout-to-win ratio, with 18 knockouts in the first round. As of July 2016, Wilder is ranked the world's third best heavyweight by The Ring magazine and BoxRec, and fourth by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.

Amateur career

Wilder started boxing in October 2005 when he entered Skyy Boxing Gym in Northport, Alabama and began training under Jay Deas. Wilder was 19 at the time, which was considered late to start training.

By 2007 he upset the favorites to win both the National Golden Gloves and the US championships at 201 lb (91 kg).

At the Golden Gloves he defeated highly touted cadet world champion Isiah Thomas - a southpaw from Detroit - and David Thompson, of Brooklyn, N.Y in the finals. At the U.S. championship he defeated Quantis Graves and won the final 31-15 over southpaw James Zimmerman of San Jose, Calif.

At the Olympic trials he beat Graves twice more and won the Olympic trials in only 21 bouts. Early in 2008 he scored a career-best win by edging out World Gold medalist and future Olympic champion Rakhim Chakhiyev in Russia. He qualified for the Olympics by beating Deivis Julio 6:5 Jorge Quinones from Ecuador on double countback and Brazilian Rafael Lima 6:5 at the qualifier.

Wilder then competed at heavyweight in the 2008 Olympics, defeating Abdelaziz Touilbini of Algeria and Mohamed Arjaoui of Morocco before losing to Clemente Russo of Italy in the semi final to earn a bronze medal.^[1]

Olympic results

Boxing at the 2008 Summer Olympics:^[2]

• Defeated Abdelaziz Toulbini (Algeria) 10:4
• Defeated Mohamed Arjaoui (Morocco) 10+:10 (tiebreaker criteria)
• Lost to Clemente Russo (Italy) 1:7

World Championship results

2007 AIBA World Boxing Championships:

• Lost to Krzysztof Zimnoch (Poland) 20-23 (10/24/2007) ^[3]

Professional career

Early career

Wilder turned professional on November 15, 2008. From his professional debut to August 2014, he racked up an impressive 32-fight win streak, winning all contests by knockout and all within four rounds; with notable stoppages of former WBA heavyweight title challenger (27-10, 20 KOs) Owen Beck, and former European heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist (31-6, 23 KOs) Audley Harrison.

On August 9, 2013 Wilder pushed his knockout streak to 29 fights by knocking out former WBO heavyweight champion Sirahei Liakhovich (25-5, 16 KOs) in round one of a Showtime main event.

WBC heavyweight champion

Wilder vs. Stiverne

In March 2014, Wilder beat fellow American Malik Scott by first round knockout.^[4] This set up his position as mandatory challenger for the WBC heavyweight title held by new champion Bermane Stiverne, who had defeated Chris Arreola for the title vacated by the retiring Vitali Klitschko. In January 2015, billed as 'Return to Glory', Wilder fought Stiverne at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and made his dream a reality by winning the WBC heavyweight title from the defending champion by unanimous decision after twelve rounds. The three official judges scored it (118-109), (119-108) & (120-107).^[5] Stiverne landed 110 of 327 punches (34%) with Wilder landing 227 of 621 punches (37%).^[6] This was the first real proof to critics that Wilder could go the distance and could box, as up to that point he had finished all opponents inside the distance. After the fight, Wilder dedicated his win to his disabled daughter, and to his boxing hero Muhammad Ali, who had turned 73 years old that same day.

Wilder vs. Molina, Duhaupas

On June 13, 2015 Wilder made his first defence of his new title against Eric Molina (23-2, 17 KOs) at Bartow Arena, Birmingham, Alabama. This was the first heavyweight title fight held in the state of Alabama with an attendance of 9,347. Molina was aiming to become the first Mexican-American World Heavyweight champion in history. Wilder dominated, knocking down Molina near the end of round four, twice in the fifth, and knocking him out on his back in the ninth round. Wilder had respect for Molina after the bout, stating "I was really surprised he kept coming and hanging in there. A lot of people said he wouldn't even be around, he wouldn't last. There were a lot of doubters, but he showed a lot of heart, and I needed that kind of guy to fight here in Alabama." Wilder was ahead on all three judges scorecards at the time of stoppage (90-77, 89-78 twice).^[7][8]

On September 26, Wilder beat Johann Duhaupas (32-2, 20 KOs) by TKO in the 11th round at the Legacy Arena, Alabama. Duhaupas, who was battered and bloodied claims he still had plenty of fight left when referee Jack Reiss waved off his brave challenge. Duhaupas who had never been stopped before in his career inside the distance. Wilder was ahead on all judges scorecards at the time of stoppage (99-90,100-90, 99-91).^[9]

Wilder vs. Szpilka

Wilder made his third defence on January 16, 2016 against Polish Artur Szpilka (20-1, 15 KOs) at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York in front of 12,668 mostly pro Polish fans. Szpilka looked very strong as the bout began, and won the first three rounds with his awkward southpaw stance, rapid foot movement, and unique talent of slipping punches. Szpilka made Wilder appear somewhat wild with his punches, as Wilder missed 175 punches thrown at Szpilka, mostly head punches. Entering round nine, Szpilka, aware from the ring commentators he could no longer win the fight on the cards, changed strategy and took a gamble. Going to the inside, Szpilka swung for the rafters, but Wilder, read Szpilka and landed first with a powerful right hand to the face. Szpilka fell suddenly to the canvas knocked out, both fighters appeared horribly out of position. Unconscious on the canvas, Szpilka's head jerked backwards in a reflex motion, the frightful moment abruptly ending the competitive contest and sending the ringside physicians and emergency medical personnel immediately into the ring. After the fight, newly crowned heavyweight champion Tyson Fury entered the ring going face to face in a heated verbal exchange with Wilder, calling him out. In the post fight press conference, WIlder gave himself a 5 on a scale of 10 for his performance. Wilder was not in a celebratory mood and claimed his concerns for Szpilka meant he was not in the mood for the confrontation with Fury at the time. The bout over, Wilder explained "We risk our lives in there for your entertainment. I want to knock my opponents out, but not hurt them. I want them to be able to go home to their family." Fortunately, Szpilka regained consciousness before leaving the ring on a stretcher, and recovered.^[10][11]

Wilder vs. Povetkin negotiations and cancellation

Wilder was due to make the fourth defence of his WBC heavyweight title against former WBA champion and mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin (30-1, 22 KOs) on 21 May 2016 at the Megasport Arena in Moscow, Russia. Povetkin was considered by many to be Wilder's toughest opponent to date, and was on a four-fight knockout streak since suffering his only defeat to Wladimir Klitschko in late 2013.^[12] Wilder didn't seem to be worried by the defence and just sees this as a big name in the Heavyweight division that he could add to his legacy, "Going to Russia is going to be nothing for me, I'm going to treat it like it's the U.S. because at the end of the day, it's one man, one ring. When I knock him out and come back, it's going to bring my legacy even bigger than it is now." He also added, "I think this is going to be an easier fight than Stiverne, I really believe that. To be proven wrong, we're going to find out." ^[13]

However, a week before the fight on May 14, it was reported that Povetkin had tested positive for the banned substance meldonium. Promotor Andrei Ryabinsky added that Povetkin did take meldonium last year, but stopped before it was banned, and only "leftover traces of meldonium at a very low concentration (70 nanograms)" were found in a blood sample given by the 36-year-old last month.^[14][15] Hours after Wilder and his team skipped their flight to Moscow, the WBC, having little choice with the titleholder preparing to return home, to postponed the fight.^[16][17] Jay Deas, Wilder's manager and trainer, said the fight is off as did promoter Lou DiBella. Andrey Ryabinskiy, promoter for Povetkin, has claimed the fight will take place at a later date.^[18] Wilder claimed he is still interested in fighting and beating Povetkin in the future, as this was a fight he trained hard for and was hoping to make a statement against an elite heavyweight.^[19]

Wilder vs. Arreola

Wilder made the fourth defense of his WBC heavyweight title against former two-time world heavyweight title challenger Chris Arreola (36-4-1-2, 31 KOs). The bout took place on July 16, 2016 at the Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama. For the fight, Wilder wore white trunks with black trim, featuring a portrait of his personal idol and the late heavyweight boxing legend Muhammad Ali. The attendance at the arena was announced 11,974. Wilder dominated the entire fight with his sharp jab, which caused severe swelling to Arreola's left eye. In the fourth round, Wilder connected with a heavy right cross that knocked Arreola down. Finally, after eight one-sided rounds, Arreola's cornermen informed the referee to stop the contest. The official verdict, an eight round retirement victory for Wilder. After the fight, Wilder stated he had broke his right hand and tore his bicep during the fight. Wilder was ahead 80-71, 80-71 and 79-72 on the scorecards at the time of stoppage. According to CompuBox statistics, Wilder landed 152 of 346 punches (44 percent), and Arreola landed 52 of 188 (28 percent).^[20] According to promoter Lou DiBella, Wilder spent most of the night at UAB Hospital. He would be back at the hospital soon, likely for two surgeries, one to repair each injury. This ruled him out for the remainder of 2016. "Deontay is definitely out for the remainder of the year, but we will know more in the next few days," DiBella said.^[21]

Professional boxing record

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
37	Win	37–0	Chris Arreola	RTD	8 (12), 3:00	Jul 16, 2016	Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.	Retained WBC heavyweight title
36	Win	36–0	Artur Szpilka	KO	9 (12), 2:24	Jan 16, 2016	Barclays Center, New York City, New York, U.S.	Retained WBC heavyweight title
35	Win	35–0	Johann Duhaupas	TKO	11 (12), 0:55	Sep 26, 2015	Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.	Retained WBC heavyweight title
34	Win	34–0	Éric Molina	KO	9 (12), 1:03	Jun 13, 2015	Bartow Arena, Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.	Retained WBC heavyweight title
33	Win	33–0	Bermane Stiverne	UD	12	Jan 17, 2015	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.	Won WBC heavyweight title
32	Win	32–0	Jason Gavern	RTD	4 (10), 3:00	Aug 16, 2014	StubHub Center, Carson, California, U.S.
31	Win	31–0	Malik Scott	KO	1 (12), 1:36	Mar 15, 2014	Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
30	Win	30–0	Nicolai Firtha	KO	4 (10), 1:26	Oct 26, 2013	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title
29	Win	29–0	Siarhei Liakhovich	KO	1 (10), 1:43	Aug 9, 2013	Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S.	Retained WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title
28	Win	28–0	Audley Harrison	TKO	1 (12), 1:10	Apr 27, 2013	Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield, England
27	Win	27–0	Matthew Greer	TKO	2 (8), 1:16	Jan 19, 2013	Centro de Convenciones, Villahermosa, Mexico
26	Win	26–0	Kelvin Price	KO	3 (10), 0:51	Dec 15, 2012	Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S.	Won WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title
25	Win	25–0	Damon McCreary	KO	2 (10), 0:55	Sep 8, 2012	The Hangar, Costa Mesa, California, U.S.
24	Win	24–0	Kertson Manswell	TKO	1 (10), 2:10	Aug 4, 2012	Civic Center Expo Hall, Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
23	Win	23–0	Owen Beck	RTD	3 (8), 3:00	Jun 23, 2012	Killer Buzz Arena, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
22	Win	22–0	Jesse Oltmanns	TKO	1 (8), 0:26	May 26, 2012	Oasis Hotel Complex, Cancún, Mexico
21	Win	21–0	Marlon Hayes	TKO	4 (8), 3:00	Feb 25, 2012	Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
20	Win	20–0	David Long	KO	1 (8), 1:17	Nov 26, 2011	U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
19	Win	19–0	Daniel Cota	KO	3 (8), 2:55	Nov 5, 2011	Centro de Convenciones, Cancún, Mexico
18	Win	18–0	Dominique Alexander	TKO	2 (6), 2:02	Aug 27, 2011	Water Oaks Farm Arena, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
17	Win	17–0	Damon Reed	KO	2 (6), 1:59	Jun 18, 2011	Amphitheater, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
16	Win	16–0	Reggie Pena	TKO	1 (6), 2:03	May 6, 2011	Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S.
15	Win	15–0	DeAndrey Abron	TKO	2 (6), 1:23	Feb 19, 2011	Shelton State Community College, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
14	Win	14–0	Danny Sheehan	KO	1 (6), 1:48	Dec 2, 2010	Hilton Towers Ballroom, Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.
13	Win	13–0	Harold Sconiers	TKO	4 (6), 1:09	Oct 15, 2010	Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S.
12	Win	12–0	Shannon Caudle	KO	1 (6), 1:04	Sep 25, 2010	Fitzgeralds Casino and Hotel, Tunica, Mississippi, U.S.
11	Win	11–0	Dustin Nichols	RTD	1 (6), 3:00	Jul 3, 2010	Club Palace, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, U.S.
10	Win	10–0	Alvaro Morales	TKO	3 (6), 1:23	Apr 30, 2010	Tropicana Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
9	Win	9–0	Ty Cobb	KO	1 (6), 0:33	Apr 2, 2010	Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
8	Win	8–0	Jerry Vaughn	KO	1 (6), 1:02	Nov 18, 2009	Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
7	Win	7–0	Travis Allen	TKO	1 (4), 1:30	Aug 14, 2009	Desert Diamond Casino, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
6	Win	6–0	Kelsey Arnold	KO	1 (4), 1:13	Jun 26, 2009	Desert Diamond Casino, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
5	Win	5–0	Charles Brown	KO	1 (6), 0:55	May 23, 2009	Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
4	Win	4–0	Joseph Rabotte	KO	1 (4), 2:33	Apr 24, 2009	UIC Pavilion, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
3	Win	3–0	Richard Greene Jr.	RTD	1 (4), 3:00	Mar 14, 2009	Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
2	Win	2–0	Shannon Gray	TKO	1 (4), 2:12	Mar 6, 2009	James M. Trotter Convention Center, Columbus, Mississippi, U.S.
1	Win	1–0	Ethan Cox	TKO	2 (4), 2:54	Nov 15, 2008	Memorial Gymnasium, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.	Professional debut

Personal life

Wilder has two daughters, Naieya and Ava, and two sons, Dereon and Deontay Jr. Wilder has been married since 2009 to Jessica Scales-Wilder.^[22] He graduated from Tuscaloosa Central High School in 2004 and dreamed of playing American football (wide receiver) or basketball (forward) for his hometown Alabama Crimson Tide, but the birth of his daughter Naieya (b. 2005), who suffers from a spina bifida and grade issues forced him to attend nearby Shelton State Community College and to focus on a boxing career.^[23]

Controversies

On May 4, 2013, Wilder was arrested in Las Vegas for domestic battery by strangulation, which is a Class B or Class C felony.^[24] Wilder's attorney said, "Deontay instinctively acted under the false impression that someone was stealing from him. That wasn't the case. He regrets his actions. He is extremely regretful because this is not consistent with his reputation. He and the victim have spoken about this and the victim has accepted his apology. We hope this matter will be brought to a resolution soon".^[25] According to Clark County, Nevada records, Wilder was cleared in the matter.

References

External links

• Official website
• Professional boxing record for Deontay Wilder from BoxRec
• Amateur boxing record
• Interview with Deontay (March 2013)
• Article at The Tuscaloosa News
• Profile at Premier Boxing Champions
• NPR story about Wilder
• Olympic qualifier