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Deontay Wilder, the former WBC Heavyweight Champion of the world, is being honored with a statue in his hometown. Wilder, who is from Tuscaloosa, Arizona, won the heavyweight title in 2015 and successfully defended it nine times.
Wilder told The Sun that:
"This right here, this is something God is giving – not only to me, but to my state and my city. I can just see people coming to the state of Alabama, touring the city of Tuscaloosa, looking at the statue. This will be something for my children, their children, their children’s children."
Wilder's statue will be placed outside the Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports Building. A public ceremony will be held to unveil it on May 25, 2022.
Deontay Wilder's career so far
Deontay Wilder has a record of 42-2-1 with 41 knockouts. He lost his last two fights with Tyson Fury. His only draw also came to Fury, who is the current WBC Heavyweight Champion. He hasn't fought since October 2021, when he fought Fury for the third time.
Prior to his bouts with Fury, Wilder had knocked out every opponent he faced other than Bermane Stiverne in 2017. He made his pro debut in 2008 and had 32 consecutive knockouts, never going beyond the fourth round. Stiverne was the first opponent to take Wilder beyond the fourth, standing with him for 12 rounds.
Tuscaloosa is a city of just over 100,000 in central Alabama. Other notable residents include Condoleezza Rice, who lived there briefly, and several NFL and MLB players. Wilder is one of the only notable boxers to emerge from the city. The state of Alabama has produced great heavyweight champions, though, including Joe Louis and Evander Holyfield.
It has been suggested that Wilder's downfall was his reliance on the power of his right hand. That his technical boxing ability suffered due to neglect. Wilder has been fairly quiet since his back-to-back losses with Fury. However, he will likely have a chance to reclaim the title should Fury vacate the title. The Alabama fighter is still among the top-ranked heavyweights in the world.
