"We had an awful night" - Deontay Wilder's coach reacts to loss against Joseph Parker
Malik Scott has weighed in on Deontay Wilder vs. Joseph Parker.
The bout was just the third for Scott, who had been training 'The Bronze Bomber' since 2020. Their first outing was a 'Fight of the Year' contender in 2021, a loss to Tyson Fury. Meanwhile, their follow-up appearance saw Deontay Wilder knockout Robert Helenius last Fall.
However, the two suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Joseph Parker on Saturday. Instead of a close bout, like the loss to 'The Gypsy King', this was a mauling. Parker regularly rocked the former champion, winning nearly every round on the judges' scorecards.
The defeat was a costly one and could prevent Wilder from fighting Anthony Joshua next year. Although, that is yet to be decided. Regardless, it was a poor showing for the former heavyweight champion and one of the biggest upsets of 2023.
His coach, Scott, reacted to the defeat in a recent interview with ES News. There, he gave full credit to Parker and his team, stating (via DAZN):
"Bad night in the office. First of all, Joseph Parker and Andy Lee – they had a hell of a gameplan... He fought methodical. He had a game plan and he stuck to it. The best man won, congratulations to Joseph Parker. I’ve got nothing but genuine love and respect for him … He’s one of the best heavyweights in the world. There wasn’t no shame in losing to Joseph Parker."
Check out the comments by Deontay Wilder's coach below:
Malik Scott explains what went wrong in Deontay Wilder vs. Joseph Parker
Malik Scott believes that Deontay Wilder's lack of activity led to his upset loss.
For 'The Bronze Bomber', he's never been someone who will go out and throw a lot of punches per round. Still, when the pressure was on, he was willing to chase a finish. However, there was no sense of urgency on Saturday.
Down on the scorecards throughout the entire contest, Wilder never really cared. His lackadaisical approach led many to believe that the American was past his prime and was even destined for retirement. Post-fight, Wilder dismissed that idea.
According to Malik Scott, the biggest issue is that Wilder never showed any urgency over the weekend. Speaking to ES NEWS regarding the loss, the trainer stated:
"We had an awful night.. He came out of his base a lot. His chin came up a few times. The jab, it wasn’t filling blank spaces. [A lot] of times in the fight nothing was going on, and that was good for Parker, not good for Deontay.”