Former WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder has declared that he will return to boxing following a knockout defeat in 2021. Wilder shared his intentions shortly after his hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama unveiled a statue in his honor.
“I’ve been highly requested. So many people have told me, ‘come back, come back.’ I’d say I’m back by popular demand,” Wilder said, according to TuscaloosaNews.com.
“And the business of boxing needs me. When there’s a thriving American champion, there’s nothing like it. When there’s not, you see it’s dead. There’s a drought in (the sport). People know the difference now.”
“I’m looking to resume my career for sure. I’ve got a lot of other things I’ve got to get out of the way. I’m taking away from my children if I come back, because now I’m able to enjoy my life fully like I want to. I sacrificed so much to be in this position in my life, to be able to life my life like I want for the rest of my life,” Wilder said.
Wilder has not specified when he would like to return or who he would like to fight. Andy Ruiz Jr., Dillian Whyte and Robert Helenius have emerged as potential opponents, but many things are still to be determined.
