Connect with us

Boxing

Wilder admits to post-traumatic stress while rewatching Fury rivalry

Published

on

Image: Deontay Wilder admits PTSD while revisiting Tyson Fury accusations ahead of comeback

Wilder said during a lengthy interview Brian Custer that he has experienced lasting psychological effects from his past rivalry with Tyson Fury, saying, “I have PTSD from past situations, but I’ve experienced it with someone.”

The confession was unusually direct from a former heavyweight champion whose identity was based on intimidation and emotional certainty. He said he had since sought aid, but his comments quickly turned back to Fury, the opponent who handed him two stoppage defeats and ended his title reign.

Competitive rage remains key to Wilder’s comeback

This reference was not accidental. Wilder launched a sustained attack on Fury’s character, accusing him of cheating and directing anger at those who supported him. The emotional intensity of these remarks revealed that Fury remains central to Wilder’s thinking, even as he prepares to restart his career against a modern opponent. Players who have fully moved on rarely revisit venerable failures with such urgency years later.

Wilder’s career stalled after the end of the Fury trilogy in October 2021 when he was stopped in the 11th round of their third fight. This defeat followed a seventh-round rematch loss that had already cost him the WBC heavyweight title, which he had successfully defended ten times. He returned in 2022 with a knockout victory over Robert Helenius, but his activity has since declined and he no longer holds the same position of power he once held in the division.

His comments during the interview showed that the fighter was trying to emphasize the importance of this fight while carrying the emotional weight of these losses. Wilder described himself as indispensable to the future of boxing, saying the sport was incomplete without him, but his words repeatedly returned to Fury rather than detailing specific steps towards rebuilding his position.

Seeing a fighter who has built his entire career on being the “Brown Bomber,” that unstoppable, intimidating force, admit to having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) marks a sea change in his public persona.

While he didn’t blame any fight directly, his “shadow of himself” observation is supported by his recent achievements.

Breakdown after rage
Since the brutal finale of the trilogy in 2021, he has indeed struggled to find the same rhythm:

  • Robert Helenius (2022): He looked like the venerable Wilder after the first-round KO, but it was a quick punch that didn’t require much mental focus.
  • Joseph Parker (2023): This is where the “shadow” really came into play. He looked indecisive and listless, losing by a wide unanimous decision.
  • Zhilei Zhang (2024): Another rugged night where he looked timid before being stopped in the fifth round.
  • Tyrrell Herndon (2025): He picked up a TKO victory here, but he was fighting a lower-tier opponent compared to the elite level he was accustomed to.

There is a belief that the main cause is Fury’s fighting, which makes sense when you look at the way he talks. Even in recent interviews where he mentions seeking aid from a sports psychologist, his conversation almost always returns to the Fury, betrayal and emotional baggage from that era.

Deontay recently mentioned that the “betrayal” from those around him at the time affected him more than the actual losses, suggesting that “post-traumatic stress disorder from past situations” may be as much about the people around him as the blows he took. At the age of 40, dealing with this level of mental burden is quite a challenge, especially in a division where players like Usyk play.

Wilder, now 40, remains one of the hardest punchers in heavyweight history, and that alone ensures he will continue to attract attention. The knockout power doesn’t go away overnight and it opens the door for him to get back into meaningful fights if he stays vigorous. However, his interview made it clear that his comeback is not just about chasing modern opponents. It is also a confrontation with the chapter that changed his career.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Boxing

Zuffa Boxing Dublin card confirmed for August 8 at 3Arena

Published

on

Zuffa Boxing has announced that its first event in Ireland, branded Zuffa Boxing 10, will take place on Saturday, August 8 at the 3Arena in Dublin. Organizers of the promotion, headed by Dana White, said details about the main event, joint performance and ticket sales will be announced soon.

According to the promotion, the card will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and streamed on Paramount+ in the US and Canada. Its broadcasts in the UK and Ireland are covered by a long-term contract with Sky Sports announced in March.

The expected headliner of the Cork middleweight gala will be Callum Walsh (16-0, 11 KO). according to 42 and Irish boxing, although Zuffa has not confirmed this card. Walsh won Zuffa Boxing’s debut event on January 23 in Las Vegas with a unanimous decision over Carlos Ocampo and has not fought since. The Cobh native, trained by Freddie Roach, fought mainly in the United States, but once boxed in Dublin, headlining the 3Arena gala after his victory over Przemysław Runowski.

The 42 reports that Monaghan’s Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KO) is set to be the main support for an IBF middleweight world title fight against Italian Etinosa Oliha (22-0, 10 KO). Both pairs are expected to fight for the vacant belt that became available after Janibek Alimkhanuly was stripped of his belt following a failed anti-doping test. McKenna is third in the IBF rankings and Oliha is second.

Dublin will be Zuffa Boxing’s second card outside the United States. The first event, Zuffa Boxing 07, will take place this Saturday at the Bournemouth International Center in England, where former world cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith will face Ryan Rozicki in a 10-round cruiserweight main event.

The August 8 date means the Dublin gala will take place a week after Queensberry Promotions’ show at the same venue, headlined by Pierce O’Leary against Mark Chamberlain, with Tyson Fury scheduled to appear.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Frank Warren says Tyson Fury will do what Daniel Dubois did to Joshua

Published

on

Image: Frank Warren Says Tyson Fury Will Do What Daniel Dubois Did To Joshua

Frank Warren believes Tyson Fury will not only beat Anthony Joshua when the long-awaited heavyweight clash finally happens, but also stop him.

The All-British clash is scheduled for November, after a delay from its earlier summer date. Warren confirmed that Fury signed a contract for the fight in January, and both men are expected to undergo interim fights before the fight becomes official.


When asked how he sees the fight developing, Warren made it clear he expected Fury to win and pointed to Joshua’s knockout loss to Daniel Dubois as a major factor.

“I think Tyson will win,” Warren told Secondsout, predicting a Tyson Fury knockout over Joshua.

“I think Tyson will stop him.

“Did you see him fight Daniel Dubois? That gives me that confidence. I was sure Daniel Dubois would do it and he did it, and I’m sure Tyson will do the same in brief order, no matter what catches him.”

Earlier in the interview, Warren also suggested that Joshua was still feeling the effects of the Dubois defeat.

“He has the specter and cloud of what happened when he fought Daniel Dubois hanging over him. So, you know, he’s vulnerable if he gets caught now,” Warren said.

Joshua is scheduled to return on July 25 against Kristian Pregna, while Fury is scheduled to fight his own warm-up fight before November. Warren said the location for the proposed blockbuster has yet to be determined, though he confirmed the fight remains signed and will likely take place later this year, provided both heavyweights win their fights.

Youtube video

Click here to sign up for our FREE newsletter

Related boxing news:

Categories Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury

Last update: 2026/06/04 at 23:14

Continue Reading

Boxing

World champion will be stripped of his title if he refuses to fight David Benavidez next: ‘That’s it’

Published

on

World champion to be stripped of title if he refuses to face David Benavidez next: “That’s it”

David Benavidez won the WBA and WBO cruiserweight world titles with his last fight, and the “Mexican Monster” may add to his collection in the future after one of the world champions was ordered to fight him under the threat of being stripped of his belt.

Last month I moved up from light heavyweight and dethroned Gilberto Ramirez in sensational styleBenavidez now holds the WBA (regular) and WBC featherlight heavyweight world titles, as well as his recently won unified cruiserweight crown.

As a result, the 29-year-old must decide whether he should return to the featherlight heavyweight scene or stay in the cruiserweight division, where he put in arguably the best performance of his career last time out after tuning out his fight with Jai Opetaia.

However, Benavidez was also named the WBC cruiserweight mandatory challenger and was ordered to fight WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian, another who has been linked to a fight with Opetaia.

If Mikaelian refuses to defend the title against Benavidez, the WBC president announced in an interview for the WBC magazine that he would strip the Armenian of the belt. Boxing Scene.

“The WBC order is Mikaelian against Benavidez. That’s all. If he fights again, he will waive his obligations to the WBC.”

“[There is no deadline] at this time. I will be talking to different managers. This is the highest priority. I look forward to making sure that happens.”

If Mikaeilian decides to continue the fight with Opetaia and thus lose the world title, it can be expected that Polish-born interim champion Michał Cieślak will benefit. Either he will be elevated to full world champion and ordered to make his first defense against Benavidez, or he will be included in a vacant belt fight against the three-division world champion.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending