"I doubt he will return" - Johnny Nelson doubtful on Deontay Wilder comeback
Talk has been rife about a potential return to the ring for Deontay Wilder. Many figures related to boxing have had their say on whether ‘The Bronze Bomber’ has a role to play in the heavyweight division.
Sky Sports pundit, and the longest reigning cruiserweight champion of all time, Johnny Nelson said:
“I think I heard this a good few months ago. I still doubt it, Deontay fights with a lot of pride involved, so I think the Tyson Fury fight really hurt his pride. He is not a great lover of our sport, so when he is out, he is out, he ain’t watching all this sort of stuff. He is a very, very wealthy man so it is all about motivation... The persona that he had in himself in regard to being the baddest man on the planet has now been broken and that was the one thing that drove him on.”
Watch the full interview here:
Deontay Wilder is widely famed for his outstanding punch power. Up until he faced Tyson Fury, that power had led to him knocking out every one of his prior opponents. Amongst the boxing community, the general consensus was that once Wilder hits you, you will not be able to get up. Fury, however, proved to be an outlier shattering the invincible persona that Wilder had previously had.
Johnny Nelson believes that a return for Deontay Wilder would be good for boxing
Wilder has stated that he is considering a return to boxing. When a statue of ‘The Bronze Bomber’ was unveiled in his hometown, it gave fans hope of a potential return.
In recent times, fighters have called out Wilder for a future bout as they believe he will be back. Derek Chisora and Andy Ruiz Jr. are two names that have targeted a fight with Deontay Wilder. Undoubtedly, Wilder is a threat to anyone in the division due to his punching power.
In the same interview, Johnny Nelson added:
“It's brilliant for boxing, He is a character, you either love him or loathe him, I remember Isaac [Chamberlain] when he was sparring Deontay, I thought 'Good on you.' This guy is a handful, and I bet he does not go easy on you when in sparring. I remember Deontay being David Haye’s sparring partner when he was supposed to fight Tyson Fury. So I know he has always been addicted and has always got it in him”
Watch Deontay Wilder's three biggest knockouts according to PBC:
It looks like the start of a new era in the heavyweight division as both Wilder and Joshua have been overthrown. Whether Wilder wants to be a part of the new era is up to him.