Lennox Lewis wants Deontay Wilder to leave boxing with his "faculties intact" and "take care of his daughter" post devastating KO loss in Saudi Arabia
In his 48th professional fight, Deontay Wilder suffered his third knockout loss in the last four years, causing many, including Lennox Lewis, to believe his time has come to an end. Of those suggesting Wilder call it a career, former unified heavyweight champion Lewis believes 'The Bronze Bomber' would be "wise" to hang up his gloves.
Lewis, who has stayed within the boxing scene since retiring as a fighter, reported that Wilder told him he would retire after his fight with Zhilei Zhang if he could not win. The day after the Queensberry vs. Matchroom event, 'The Lion' tweeted his support for the 38-year-old's decision to leave the ring behind.
Lewis tweeted:
"The @BronzeBomber told us before the fight that he would retire if he didn't win. I think that's a wise decision. He's more than carved out a life in which he can take care of his daughter, so before he suffers any more damage, it's best to leave the game with your faculties intact because there's a LOT more life to live after boxing."
With the loss to Zhang, Wilder dropped to 43-4-1 but more importantly is just 1-4 in his last five fights. As the former WBC heavyweight champion, Wilder lost his title in 2020 to Tyson Fury and has since been unable to defeat a fighter rated in the top 10 by any governing body.
Lennox Lewis' life after boxing
As a part of his campaign to support Deontay Wilder's rumored retirement, Lennox Lewis was adamant that 'The Bronze Bomber' refrain from returning to the ring, saying there is a "lot more life to live" besides boxing.
Lewis, 58, announced his retirement in 2004 as the defending champion with a 41-2-1 record. In the 20 years since his last fight, Lewis has been involved in his local communities, dabbled in acting and remained a part of the sport as an analyst.
Lennox Lewis regularly attends major boxing events, including being an honored guest at the undisputed heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. Before Usyk's win, Lewis was the most recent fighter to claim the undisputed heavyweight championship.