Deontay Wilder has admitted that he didn’t particularly miss boxing during his lengthy absence from the sport after being knocked out by Tyson Fury last year.
The American was world heavyweight champion for over half-a-decade before being stopped by Fury in their rematch in 2020 and then being brutally knocked out in the trilogy last October. He contemplated retirement from the sport before being honoured with a statue in his home town and deciding to return to the ring against Robert Helenius, which he will do on October 15.
Wilder skipped the press conference today to launch the event, as did Helenius, and appeared via satellite for the reporters live in New York. The bout will take place at the Barclays Center, and will see Wilder attempting to land his first win since a 2019 stoppage of Luis Ortiz.
“To be honest, I haven’t missed it at all,” Wilder told host Ray Flores when asked about knocking out opponents. “Many times I’ve sat around and contemplated do I need to come back or not? I’ve done so well for myself outside of the ring to the point where I don’t need boxing.
“Financially I’ve won all the way around and this is some of the things I’ve been trying to mentor and tell other fighters. I look after fighters because we are the product at the end of the day, we come in and risk our lives and for what it’s worth.
“No money can put a price on a life and you see so many fighters come in time in and time out who don’t have nothing to show for it when the game is up. This is a business, it’s not a sport, it’s solely a business and when the business is over with you have nothing to show for it but they’ve been giving their life for others’ entertainment.
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“Everybody else will take from them and bribe them and trick them into certain things. Some people say they’re paying fighters too much money, how? They’re risking their lives and you’re coming to a fight, getting dressed to be entertained.”
Wilder was put down five times during his three fights with Fury, which lasted a collective 30 rounds. He protested the second loss, believing that Fury had cheated among other outlandish excuses, but accepted that he had been beaten by the better man the third time around.
Now, he looks to rebuild as he moves towards another heavyweight title opportunity by taking on the massive Finnish fighter Helenius. The 6’9″ giant was the WBA’s top contender before the pandemic, and despite being in the twilight of his career still sees a path to world honours just like Wilder.
