"It's just the beginning" - Deontay Wilder is already plotting his comeback
- Joe Hewlett
- 4 December 2021
Wilder has plenty of fight options on his return but Andy Ruiz Jr. is in pole position to face him next year...
'The best is yet to come,' says Deontay Wilder in his first interview since an 11th round KO defeat to Tyson Fury.
Wilder was involved in one of the most exciting fights of the year in October with Fury, ending a trilogy series that lasted between 2018 to 2021.
The American failed in his bid to become a two-time heavyweight world champion despite flooring Fury twice in round five at the T-Mobile Arena.
The 36-year-old said: "For me, this is not it, this is just the beginning. The best is yet to come from me.
"Although I have accomplished a lot of things, more than I could've imagined. I do still have goals in the sport, that's why I still have love for it."
The Olympian told fiancee Telli Swift: "I'm looking to accomplish the goals that I still have left.
"I broke my hand, so I'm in a healing process right now. Once this is over, I'll resume training for sure.
"Boxing is a year-round sport, so you've always gotta be prepared, you've always gotta stay ready. After this, I'm looking to get right back in it."
No excuses for defeat
Loaded gloves, spiked water and a heavy costume were just some of the excuses used by Wilder following his crushing rematch defeat to Fury in 2020.
However, this time Wilder refused to blame anyone and admitted he had 'no complaints at all' about the manner of his second loss.
He said: "I'm grateful for that. I'm blessed all the way around. With that being said, it's no complaints at all, we just move forward.
"You come up to a certain point, as humans we feel we come up to a dead-end or we fail, we think this is it for us. But when you're travelling along your journey, nothing should be 'this is it.'"
Team Wilder are looking for a ring return in May with no names off the list.
Head coach Malik Scott told World Boxing News: "We should be back in camp, in my opinion, no later than March and fight in May.
"Or we may be back in camp before March. It all depends on how he recovers, how he's feeling, how everything's going."
He added: "Deontay said he's going to go on vacation, and I'm all for that, and in a few months, we'll be back in camp, and he'll be fighting."
