Deontay Wilder is a polarizing figure in the boxing world who critics unfairly cast as a “one-punch wonder.” The undefeated WBC champ (41-0-1) will never be a classic boxer with flawless technical skills but has shown grit and heart in his last two fights against Luis Ortiz and the epic draw with Tyson Fury.
Wilder is what he is, a wildly entertaining showman inside and outside the ring, who has made boxing fun again with his viral video clip knockouts and timeline topping smack talk.
The Alabama-native is most famous for “catching bodies” as his ungodly 95% knockout-to-win ratio would attest, but what do we really know about “The Bronze Bomber” as he faces the ageless Luis “King Kong” Ortiz in this Saturday’s rematch at the MGM in Las Vegas. Here’s a closer look at the heavy-hitter in our latest Tales of the Tape: Deontay Wilder.
He has sex before and after a fight
Wilder doesn’t believe in that old-school boxing trainer’s myth about abstaining from sex before a big fight. And with a girl like Telli Swift, who could blame him. The WAGS Atlanta reality TV star admitted that her heavyweight fiance likes to “bang” before big fights, telling TMZ, “Deontay does what Deontay wants to do. If he wants to have sex, I’m gonna give him sex!”
He went from IHOP to Heavyweight Champ
Wilder’s rags-to-riches life story has all the makings of a classic fairy tale. The heavyweight champ who is never at a loss for words in his “colorful” interviews, added “author” to his building resume with “Deontay the Future World Champ,” a children’s book about his younger self that details the sacrifices he makes in achieving his dream of becoming a champion. “The idea was to motivate the children while they’re at a younger age,” Wilder told Premier Boxing. “So many kids are misled through TV, through everyday life. Nobody’s really teaching them at a young age to build a work ethic, to work hard.”
Where the Wild(er) Things Are
Wilder has paid his dues inside and outside the ring, taking a job at IHOP to support his baby daughter Naieya who was born with Spina bifida. He started as a busboy but was quickly upgraded to waiter where his trademark personality could shine and his tips could grow. “Of course I didn’t like the jobs I worked,” Wilder told The Comeback. “I didn’t like not doing what I wanted to do. I didn’t feel like I was living when I was in the restaurant business. When you’re living paycheck to paycheck and you have only $30 for groceries, you’re just surviving. That’s not living. But my daughter couldn’t tell. We had a roof over our heads. We were eating.”
The ‘Real’ Bronze Bomber
“The Bronze Bomber” was bronzed with a life-size statue at the YCMA in his hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The statuesque fighter (6’7, 213) made the perfect model for sculptor Caleb O’Connor. “‘Geez, the Bronze Bomber,’” the artist told the Alabama Newscenter. “If ever there was a subject, there’s one right there. I learned more about his character and personality and I admired that.”
His tats tell his story
Wilder is a walking canvas with more tattooed ink than bare skin showing across his 6’7 physique. “I’ve easily got over a thousand hours on me,” Wilder told Premier Boxing.” The heavyweight champ’s tats all having special meaning to him with images of his daughter, the heavyweight title belt, and Bible scripture. “Everything that I’ve got on me has meaning to it, from my neck down to my feet,” Wilder continued. “My body tells its own story with all the art on there.”
