Deontay Wilder: Heavyweight Champion & Net Worth
Deontay Wilder is a professional boxer who was the former WBC heavyweight champion. He is the three-time Premier Boxing Champions Knockout of the Year.
Likewise, he became the first American professional boxer to hold the WBC title since 2004. Besides that, Wilder held the title from 2015 to 2020, defending against ten matches.
Sadly, he lost it in his latest fight against Tyson Fury, who Knocked him out in the seventh round. Therefore, this marked his first loss as a professional heavyweight boxer.
However, an arbitrator ruled that Tyson must fight with Deontay by 15th September for a rematch.
Moreover, he is ranked as the world’s third-best active heavyweight boxer by BoxRec, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and Ring magazine.
Similarly, the professional boxer earned the nickname “The Bronze Bomber” after winning a bronze medal in Olympics 2008.
The Bronze Bomber is known for his insane punching power. In fact, he has knocked out every opponent in defending his title except for his latest opponent.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Deontay Leshun Wilder |
| Birth Date | October 22, 1985 |
| Birth Place | Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S. |
| Nick Name | The Bronze Bomber |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Black |
| Education | Shelton State Community College |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Father’s Name | Gary Wilder |
| Mother’s Name | Deborah Wilder |
| Sibling | Marsellos Wilder |
| Age | 38 years old |
| Height | 6 ft 7 in/ 201 cm/ 2 m |
| Weight | 96kg/ 210 lbs |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athletic |
| Club | Independent |
| Profession | Boxer |
| Active Years | 2008 – present |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Partner | Telli Swift |
| Kids |
Five
|
| Net Worth | $30 Million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Poster, Wall Art |
| Reach | 83 inches/ 211 cm |
| Last Update | 2024 |
Deontay Wilder: Early Life, Family, and Education
Deontay Wilder was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S. His parents are Deborah Wilder and Gary Wilder. Further, the boxer has a younger sibling named Marsellos Wilder.
Currently, Marsellos is also a professional boxer who started his boxing career in 2018.
Moreover, the professional boxer went to Central High School, where he played football and basketball for the high school team.
However, he was inferior in his academics.
Following his high school graduation, he wanted to join the University of Alabama, to play collegiate football or basketball.
Nonetheless, due to his poor grades and the birth of his eldest daughter, he joined Shelton State Community College, eventually dropping out before graduation.
Furthermore, he struggled with depression during this time. He almost committed suicide with a shotgun.
Nonetheless, the responsibility of his family didn’t allow him to give up on his life.
Thus, he began to train harder to provide financial support to his family through a boxing career.
Deontay Wilder: Age, Height, and Weight
Deontay is 38 years old. As an athlete, the boxer takes excellent care of his health and diet. Hence, he has a very toned physique.
Furthermore, he hits the gym quite frequently and trains every day. In fact, he is one of the most hardworking athletes in the current era.
Moreover, He stands at 6 feet 7 inches tall with a bodyweight of 216lbs, i.e., 96kg.
Deontay Wilder: Boxing Career
Amature Career
Wilder started his boxing career at the age of 20 when he joined Skyy Boxing Gym in Northport, Alabama, and began training under Jay Deas in October 2005.
Likewise, he made his first professional debut at the age of 23 at the Vanderbilt University Memorial Gymnasium.
Furthermore, the debut ended with his first amateur victory.
Following this victory, he qualified to represent his country in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
He went on to win his first Olympics bronze medal at just the age of twenty-three.
Similarly, the Olympians compete in seven fights in the following year. At this point, he had already begun to dominate the boxing community.
As a result, he won all seven matches in a first-round knockout. By 2012, Deontay had fought and won all 25 fights in knockouts.
Finally, he got a chance to fight for a title against Kelvin Price. Wilder managed to knockout Kelvin with a right hand on the jaw, which sent him down on the ropes.
Thus, he claimed the WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight title, which he successfully defended twice.
WBC heavyweight champion
First Title And Rise To Superstardom
On January 17, 2015, the Bronze Bomber made history after defeating Stiverne for the WBC heavyweight title.
Hence, he became the first American boxer to hold the WBC heavyweight title since 2004.
Further, he dedicated his victory to his disabled daughter and his boxing idol Muhammad Ali.
Not to mention, he made a fortune as the champion won a $1 million post-match.
Following his victory, he announced to defend his title in his home state of Alabama. Hence, this was the first heavyweight title fight held in America.
As expected he successfully, defended his title against Eric Molina with a knockout punch in the ninth round.
Likewise, he successfully defended his title for the second time against Johann Duhaupas.
Moreover, he became a fan favorite, and the fight averaged 2.2 million viewers.
You might be interested in reading about Russell Westbrook.
Consecutive Knockout of the Year Award And Injuries
In 2016, the reigning heavyweight boxer defended his title against Poland boxer Artur Szpilka.
Further, the fight went toe-to-toe as Szpilka won the first three rounds.
The Poland boxer, with his unique fighting style, made Wilder miss 75 punches.
However, the momentum shifted when Wilder landed a devastating punch that knocked out Szpilka.
Following the iconic Knockout, he received the 2016 Knockout of The Year award.
Besides that, the American boxer earned a career-high $1.5 million from the match.
Moreover, one month after Muhammad Ali‘s death, Wilder set a match to defend his title.
Furthermore, he wore white trunks with black trim as a tribute to his idol Muhammad Ali.
In fact, he also had the mentality of Ali that day as he dominated the whole game knocking his opponent down in every round to win the match eventually.
Post-match, Wilder experienced pain in his right hand. Upon examination, it was determined that the boxer had a broken right hand with a torn bicep.
As a result, he went through two surgeries and had to miss the entire 2016 season.
Nonetheless, the WBC boxer returned fully recorded to take on Gerald Washington.
At the start of the match, Washington went off with offensive punches. In the meanwhile, Wilder stayed calm and defensive, throwing jabs.
Nevertheless, Deontay came up with some heavy blows to win his first match in his return.
The same year, he also faced Stiverne to retain his title for the seventh time successfully.
Not to mention, he had yet another iconic first-round knockout. As a result, he won back to back Knockout of The Year award.
First Career Draw And Third Knockout of the Year Award
For the 2018 season, the Bronze Bomber went up against Luis Ortiz in a match named the 2018 Fight of the Year.
Both highly skilled boxers put a fantastic show in front of over 14 thousand crowds. However, Wilder overcame hardness and knockout Ortiz in the tenth round.
Following his victory, he made a fortune by earning a career-high $2.1 million.
Further, the event was tagged to be the second-biggest boxing crowd in Barclays Center.
After not losing a single professional match, he faced Tyson Fury, who had never lost a boxing match.
Likewise, the match took place in Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
Ironically, the match ended in a draw that marked both the boxer’s first career tie. Nevertheless, Wilder still retained his title for the ninth time in his career.
Furthermore, in the 2019 season, the defending champion faced Dominic Breazeale.
Likewise, the match ended with a knockout by Wilder in the first round.
This was his second overall first-round knockout. As a result, he won his third Knockout of the Year award.
Fighter of the Year
Following his victory over Breazeale, he fought Luis Ortiz for the second time.
Much like the first time, the fight was very intense as both the fighters were cautious.
However, Deontay managed to hit a knockout punch in the seventh round.
As a result, he won the match and retained his title for the eleventh time in his career.
Definitely, he had proved a worthy defender for the WBC title. Hence, he was awarded the 2019 Fighter of the Year award, his first prestigious WBC award.
Deontay against Fury
Wilder faced Tyson Fury for a rematch on February 22, 2020.
Tyson maintained an amazing dominance throughout the fight. In the process, he had already dropped Wilder in the third and fifth rounds.
Eventually, Fury landed a heavy blow that knocked the defending champion out cold. Thus, he lost the match and failed to defend his title against Tyson Fury.
The 2020 match between Fury and Wilder was titled Wilder vs Fury 2 whereas, Wilder vs Fury 3 took place on the 9th of October 2021.
Wilder, who had previously admitted his previous year’s defeat to Fury, seemed to be making excuses with the confirmation of the rematch.
Wilder made a number of excuses for his loss the previous year that gave rise to mockery, especially from his opponent, Tyson Fury. Tyson, in mockery, listed the “26 excuses” Wilder made.
“My costume weighed me down, Fury’s gloves had egg weights, the fight was stopped too early, my water was spiked, Fury was covered in oil” are a few of the excuses Fury listed.
Wilder seemed to have made special preparations for his revenge, however, the preparations were ruined due to his leaked costume.
This amazing outfit was leaked to the public before he could make his grand entrance. However, Wilder was still able to pull it off in an astonishing way.
Deontay Wilder: Marriage and Kids
Fiancee Telli Swift
Deontay Wilder is currently unmarried but has a fiancee named Telli Swift.
Further, the couple has dated for years and are engaged for more the two years.
Swift is a fashion designer and is a socialist who raises funds through Boxing Wag Association.
Likewise, she also features in the reality show named Wags Atlanta.
In fact, both the couple feature in the reality show where Wilder proposed to Swift in a special episode.
Furthermore, the couple’s child was born on March 7, 2018, and was named Kaorii Lee Wilder.
Early Marriage and Kids
Moreover, the heavyweight was previously married to his ex-wife, Jessica Scales.
The couple married back in 2009 and got divorced after eight years in 2017.
During the eight years, they shared three beautiful children, two daughters and a son, Ava, Dereon, and Deontay Jr.
Similarly, he also has his eldest child with his ex-girlfriend Helen Duncan in 2005 while still in college.
Deontay Wilder: Net Worth and Salary
The former WBC heavyweight champion has built enormous wealth throughout his boxing career.
Wilder’s estimated net worth is $30 million.
On top of that, the professional American boxer earns a fair amount through endorsements and sponsorships. The fighter leads a very comfortable life.
Moreover, the heavyweight boxer lives in a lavish house in Glendora, Calif, worth $1.8 million. Not to mention, he also has multiple car collections.
You might be interested in reading about Lennox Lewis: Career, Family, Net worth, Fights & Instagram.
Deontay Wilder: Social Media Presence
The heavyweight fighter is active on various social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter.
Furthermore, he has over 2.7 million followers on Instagram. The boxer posts various pictures related to him and boxing.
Similarly, he is also very active on Twitter, with over 754.2 thousand followers. He shares various news related to boxing and his plans.
Deontay also shares photos of him living a luxurious life.
FAQS
Who did Deontay Wilder lose to?
The heavyweight boxing champion lost his latest fight against Tyson Fury, costing him his WBC heavyweight title.
Who is Deontay Wilder’s next fight?
No confirmations yet, however, Anthony Joshua has listed Wilder as his first choice for an opponent if chances of a rematch are high.
