Deontay Wilder dismissed speculation surrounding his in-ring future and confirmed he fully intends to return to boxing.
Wilder was the undefeated WBC heavyweight champion until he was dethroned and handily stopped by current titleholder Tyson Fury back in February 2020.
Between the COVID-19 pandemic and his still-ongoing action regarding his contracted trilogy (which promoter Bob Arum claimed last year expired in October), Wilder hasn't fought since, and his various rants and accusations on social media led many to believe he may never lace up the gloves again.
However on the We Might Need Counselling Podcast, Wilder put those rumours to bed.
“We in it for a reason. I love it. I’m in love with it," he explained on the show (quotes transcribed by Boxing Scene). "But trust is hard to come by because it’s money. Desperate times call for desperate measures. It’s a sport that I love, and I’m going to continue to do it and show my greatness in it. I got a lot of things that I want to do in this sport. But politics play a big part in certain things happening. Certain guys don’t want their fighters to fight certain guys because they plan for their guys. It’s a lot that goes on.
"Boxing is a dirty business, man. Some people would say it’s a business, but it’s a good business when you are making money. I guess everyone is happy when they are making money. It’s a money-driven business. I’m not going to bash my sport, although I speak facts of it. It’s a monster of a sport.”
If Wilder is unable to legally force his trilogy fight with Fury (the two battled to a draw in their first encounter), solid options for his in-ring comeback include the winner of the May 1 encounter between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Chris Arreola, as well as Charles Martin or Dillian Whyte.