Former WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder will celebrate his 37th birthday on October 22. According to the Alabama native, it will be one of the last birthdays he celebrates as an active boxer. During a recent press conference with Premier Boxing Champions, Wilder explained that he plans to retire at the age of 40 years old.
“By the end of 40, we don’t have to be guessing about Deontay Wilder. We don’t have to assume. You hear it from the horse’s mouth now because, you know, a lot of media, they rather be first than being correct, especially when it pertains to me,” Wilder said, per Boxing Scene.
“But you hear it right here from me. You know, I only wanna give it three more years, about till the end of 40, [before] turning 41. And then I wanna be done with it. I wanna pursue other things that I have set for myself and I wanna enjoy the rest of my life with my children, and build, build, build [on] this generational wealth.”
Wilder may be 36 years old, but he is fairly young in the world of boxing. In 2005, he picked up the sport of boxing at 20 years old. Three years later, he picked up a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. During the first six years of his pro career, none of his bouts went past the fourth round. In 2015, he picked up the WBC Heavyweight Championship and did not lose control of it until 2020. However, his public profile in the eyes of the general public has only grown bigger since then. He’s participated in three pay-per-view bouts with Tyson Fury and one with Luis Ortiz. Now, he’ll turn his attention toward Robert Helenius in his fourth pay-per-view event. Wilder heads into the heavyweight clash as a heavy favorite and could possibly land a fight with fellow former heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz next.
