04 June 2024 , 10:59
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Deontay Wilder's mum has begged him to retire after being brutally KO'd by Zhilei Zhang in his latest defeat.
The former world champion was in desperate need of a win when he faced Zhang this past weekend in a make or break fight. Wilder has now lost four of his last five fights and has just one win in the past five years. Wilder's mum Deborah has now revealed the emotional retirement message she sent him after his loss.
I texted him and said, 'Son, we’re having a party for you. You gave us the best boxing in USA when boxing was dead. You’ve gotten older. You’ve ran your course in your journey. It’s now time to celebrate'. He brought back boxing to the USA, and we enjoyed all those knockouts," she told USA Today Sports.
"I taped them and I’m going to look back at them. We are going to laugh, we are going to cry, but we are going to be happy. Enjoy your life now. Teach other young men how to become a champion."
Wilder's manager Shelly Finkel has admitted the former world champion is devastated after being KO'd but hasn't made a retirement decision yet.
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"He is fine, he is sleeping now, he was very emotional last night obviously. We didn't expect it to go the way it did. I have nothing but praise for the way Zhang fought, he was the better man. It is Deontay's decision whether this is his last fight or not. I love the guy, I've been with him for 15 years and I don't want him to get hurt.
"It is totally his decision, I will let him know how I feel but it is his decision and I support him whatever he does." Wilder was hoping to revive his world title aspirations and secure a long-awaited fight against Anthony Joshua with a win against Zhang, but the Brit will now likely face Daniel Dubois in his next bout.
"Come again if you want, but he's got his family and there's a life outside of boxing for him," Joshua said of Wilder. "It's a blessing, and it doesn't last forever. That's why I say it with Wilder if he wants to go again, give it another crack. But sooner or later, father time will catch up with you."