Deontay Wilder’s mother has urged her son to retire following his devastating stoppage loss to Zhilei Zhang in Riyadh on Saturday night.
In what was billed as a “loser leaves town” fight, Wilder looked a shell of the man who terrorised the heavyweight division in the late 2010s, barely throwing a punch before being dispatched by Zhang in the fifth round.
Now 38-years-old and with his best days seemingly well behind him, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ will have no doubt seen the widespread calls for him to hang up the gloves on social media.
And it has emerged today that amongst those imploring the Alabama man to call time on his career is none other than his own mother.
Speaking to USATODAY, Deborah Wilder revealed she had told her son that “it’s time to celebrate” and for him to “enjoy his life.”
“I texted him and said, ‘Son, we’re having a party for you. You gave us the best boxing in the USA when boxing was dead.
Zhilei Zhang FINISHED Deontay Wilder in SPECTACULAR FASHION!! 💥 🇨🇳 😤 pic.twitter.com/UoHSnNUXiO
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) June 2, 2024
“You’ve gotten older. You’ve ran your course in your journey. It’s time to celebrate. Enjoy your life now. Teach other young men how to become a champion.”
There has been no official word from Wilder just yet as to whether or not he will listen to the advice of his mum, not to mention the numerous other voices in the boxing world who have stated he should sail off into the sunset.
The former WBC world champion did say in the build up to his showdown with Zhang that he would have to have a “big and serious conversation” about retirement, should he not emerge victorious.
The American’s punch resistance and killer instinct seem to have abandoned him completely, with many pundits attributing this to his gruelling trilogy with Tyson Fury, with the second and third fights in particularly thought to have had a lasting affect.
Whether he does decide to call it quits or not, Wilder will undoubtedly go down as one of the hardest hitters in the history of boxing, as well as one of the most exciting heavyweights in recent memory.
