Deontay Wilder has said that his upcoming fight with Zhilei Zhang on June 1 could be his “last dance” in what is set to be an explosive contest between the heavyweight pair. Ahead of the bout, we’ve taken a look at the Bronze Bomber’s boxing record in full and some of his biggest fights so far.
Wilder, 38, comes into his fight against 40-year-old Zhang off the back of a unanimous decision defeat to Joseph Parker back in December 2023. The American has said that he is viewing the bout as “my last dance, my last chance,” against an opponent that boasts huge power punching at his disposal.
However, when it comes to power, not many hit harder than Wilder, with fans eagerly expecting another highlight-reel knockout from either opponent.
Ahead of the fight, here is Wilder’s overall record in the sport and the bouts that have helped him rise up the ranks.
‼️ Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang first face-off ahead of June 1st…[🎥 @MatchroomBoxing] pic.twitter.com/hg1RkeQVAh
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) April 15, 2024
Deontay Wilder boxing record
Overall, Wilder’s boxing record stands at 43-3-1: 43 wins, three defeats and one draw across his 47-fight career spanning just shy of 16 years.
The heavyweight has a remarkable knockout record, securing 42 of his 43 victories by KO – with only one fight going in his favor that need to be decided by the judges.
All three of his professional defeats have come in his last four fights, with Wilder no doubt eager to remind the world of his skill within the ring before calling time on his boxing career – a CV that includes one of the best trilogies the sport has ever seen.
Bermane Stiverne, 2015
With the WBC world heavyweight title on the line, Wilder, 32-0 at the time, came up against Bermane Stiverne.
Having garnered a reputation as a fearsome knockout artist, there was yet to be a single fight that the Bronze Bomber had not won by way of KO or TKO, such was the power in his right hand.
Yet if you look down Wilder’s record in full, there is only one fight that he needed the judges to secure victory – enter Stiverne.
However, this was by no means a close fight. One look at the judges’ scorecards (118-109, 119-108 and 120-107 all in favor of Wilder) tells you all you need to know.
And when the pair met again for the second time in 2017, it took just one round for Wilder to leave Stiverne flat on the canvas.
Luis Ortiz, 2018
The fight that could have been so different. Wilder had to fight back from the brink of defeat to defend his WBC heavyweight title against Luis Ortiz at the Barclays Center, New York, on March 3, 2018.
The fight was a battle of recovery from both men as the Cuban challenger hit the canvas for the first time in his professional career in the fifth round following a brutal right to the forehead from Wilder.
Yet as the seventh began, Wilder was in trouble. A countering right followed by a big left hook from Ortiz rocked the American, who somehow stayed on his feet, somehow able to make it back to his corner as the round mercifully came to a close.
The Bronze Bomber would have the last laugh though as he started to turn the screw on Ortiz who was slowly running out of gas. Wilder dropped him twice in the 10th as the referee was forced to step in.
Tyson Fury 1, 2018
The first of what proved to be an epic trilogy saw Wilder take on Tyson Fury in Los Angeles on December 1, 2018.
The bout was enthralling from start to finish as Wilder floored Fury in the 12th, leaving the Gypsy King motionless on the canvas. Yet Tyson’s powers of recovery saw him, somehow, beat the count as it got to nine, rising to his feet and managing to survive for the rest of the round.
After a strong showing in the middle rounds, Fury had been touted by many to win the fight if he had managed to get through the final round unscathed. Yet the knockdown saw the fight end as a split decision draw on the scorecards.
The contest was an epic in the heavyweight scene and proved the division was well and truly alive. But rest assured, fans would be in more more of the same from the heavyweight duo in due course.
Dominic Breazeale, 2019
When people talk about fighters ‘coming out swinging’, this was the perfect example of that.
There had been bad blood between Wilder and Breazeale after a scuffle back in a hotel in 2017 that led to the latter claiming the Bronze Bomber’s brother punched him in front of his wife and kids.
So if you thought there would be a measured start to the fight, think again. Breazeale rocked Wilder with a huge shot that left the American unsteady on his feet. However, one sickening right hand from the WBC champ left Breazeale sprawled on the canvas after just 140 seconds.
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The fight was all over inside the first round as, if anything, it proved to the world how well Fury did to recover in their last fight given the strength within that right hand.
Luis Ortiz 2, 2019
A rematch that Wilder had to win if he wanted another shot at Fury. Yet after six rounds, fans were starting succumb to the fact that Ortiz was going to stop those plans in their tracks.
The American was down on all of the scorecards and needed something special to get the win. By this point, if you are doubting Wilder’s punching power, then look no further than November 23, 2019, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas – round seven.
Yet again, it was a vicious right-hand that connected with Ortiz, sending him down to the canvas and unable to beat the count.
It was a brutal ending and one that made sure a rematch with Fury would be just a matter of months away…
Tyson Fury 2, 2020
Having battled to a split-decision draw in their first fight back in 2018 – a contest that many believe Fury should have won – The Gypsy King made sure there was no doubt come the rematch.
The 31-year-old floored Wilder in the third and fifth rounds before the Bronze Bomber’s team threw in the towel in during the seventh. Fury dominated from the start and never took a backwards step, dictating the tempo and forcing the American onto the ropes at will.
It was a boxing masterclass from Fury who made light work of one of the deadliest punchers in the division.
Tyson Fury 3, 2021
Every story deserves a good ending and boy did fans get what they had hoped for when the pair met for the third and final time.
A year and eight months after their last bout, Fury and Wilder produced another fight for the ages in front of an electric Las Vegas crowd.
An upset appeared to be on the cards when Wilder sent Fury to the canvas, not once, but twice, in the fourth round, as the Bronze Bomber’s fabled right hand reminded his opponent of the power he carried.
Yet, as Fury said after the fight, “When the chips are down, I can always deliver.” The Gypsy King did just that as he roared back into the fight and eventually had Wilder hanging on before being knocked down in the 10th, getting the job done in the 11th with a booming right hand of his own that brought the fight to a close.
Wilder has since called for a fourth contest with Fury, but that chapter appears to be well and truly closed.
Joseph Parker, 2023
Wilder’s latest fight brings us to Joseph Parker in December 2023 in Saudi Arabia. It is only the second time that he has fought outside of the United States.
The American was the clear favorite heading into the bout in what proved to be a very one-sided affair. But sadly, for Wilder, he was not the one who dominated proceedings.
Parker was calmness personified as he fought his was to a unanimous decision victory over Wilder. The New Zealander’s control was reflected on the scorecards, with the three judges making the margin of victory as 118-111, 118-110 and 120-108 respectively.
This was supposed to be Wilder’s stepping stone to a fight with Anthony Joshua, but instead it has now left him looking to show the world he is not beyond his prime when he takes on Zhang, once again in Riyadh, on June 1.
Will Deontay Wilder retire?
Wilder has said that he is “highly considering” retiring depending on the outcome of his fight with Zhang.
Speaking to DAZN, the Bronze Bomber said: “It’s going to be a different fight this time around, and if it’s not a different fight, retirement is highly considered.”
When asked if the fight is a “must-win”, the American responded: “Yeah, I think so, and I like that pressure because when you’re under pressure, it brings the best out of you. If you really want it.”
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For all the biggest results and upcoming fights this year, check out Dexerto’s 2024 boxing schedule.