Tuscaloosa, Alabama is primarily known for developing some of the best college football players in the country. With that said, it will spend some time of honoring of the best boxers in recent memory. AL.com has reported that the city of Tuscaloosa will honor former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder by unveiling a statue of him on May 25, 2022.
“We are excited to unveil this highly anticipated piece of public art featuring the Bronze Bomber – Tuscaloosa’s world-champion boxer – and created by Caleb O’Connor, who has adopted Tuscaloosa as his home and has created many other beautiful pieces in our City,” Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said in a press release obtained by AL.com.
Born in Tuscaloosa, Wilder did not dream of becoming a heavyweight champion. Instead, he hoped that he could play basketball or football for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. Unfortunately, his dreams were cut short due to poor grades and the birth of his oldest daughter. Wilder picked up the sport of boxing as a way to make extra money in order to cover his daughter’s medical bills. At 20 years old, he showed promise as an amateur and went on to win a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. As a professional, Wilder won the WBC Heavyweight Championship in 2015 and held it until 2020.
“This will be something for my children, their children, their children’s children. I’m very happy, I’m very excited about it,” Wilder told Michael Benson of talkSPORT.com.
Wilder’s statue will be unveiled on May 25, 2022 at 2 p.m. at a ceremony hosted by the city of Tuscaloosa and the Tuscaloosa Tourism & Sport department.
Deontay Wilder is set to be honoured with a life-size statue in his hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama on May 25. He said: "This will be something for my children, their children, their children's children. I'm very happy, I'm very excited about it." pic.twitter.com/xzqtynC0mC
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) May 17, 2022
