Former heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder has once again made headlines with a blunt statement about the nature of professional boxing. In a recent interview, the American claimed that boxing “is not a sport, but a survival business”, highlighting the rawness and demanding nature of the environment in which fighters operate.
This is what Deontay Wilder said about boxing today:
“I don’t feel that way, I know it,” Wilder told BoxingScene when asked if boxing has treated him badly.
“But at the end of the day, this business is not a sport. I don’t even like it when people call it a sport. Why do they call it a sport? Tell me. Why would people call this a sport, this business a sport? What makes it a sport in the first place? Just because two men face each other and show sportsmanship within a business. That doesn’t make it a sport. Think more deeply about what sports really offer their athletes. So they call us athletes? If this is a sport, then you have to be an athlete. In boxing do you think we are athletes? Yes, we might be… But as far as sports are concerned, and what I understand by sports, boxing has none of what real sports offer their athletes. In boxing, this is a brutal business. It’s all about oneself.”
The statement has resonated in the boxing community, especially in the run-up to the highly anticipated fight between Jake Paul and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, which will take place this Saturday, June 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Wilder’s words put into perspective the risks faced by boxers and reopen the debate about safety, preparation and ethics in professional boxing.
Wilder, known for his devastating power and aggressive style, has been a polarizing figure both inside and outside the ring. His words, however, reflect a reality that many in the sport know all too well, but which is rarely expressed so bluntly. Now 39 years old and with a record of 43-3-1 (42 KOs), the Tuscaloosa, Alabama native will face Tyrrell Anthony Herndon this Friday in Wichita. Wilder admits that his motivations for returning to the ring are selfish. And while he is excited to fight again, he does not like the boxing business so much.
Wilder has a lot to prove again
Many have written him off after his defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, and some argue that neither he nor Tyson Fury have been the same since their third and violent encounter. However, Wilder believes he still has a lot to offer. That’s why the 39-year-old former champion will be looking for a new victory on June 27 that will put him back in an important position to compete to regain what was once his, the heavyweight boxing title.
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