Former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder suffered long-term effects that he is still feeling today following the worst beating of his career.
In February 2020, Wilder faced Tyson Fury at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, an event World Boxing News attended. It was a shuddering wake-up call for Wilder, who had been losing many of his fights and getting out of jail due to his unbelievable power.
This scenario happened twice against Luis Ortiz, Artur Szpilka, and, to some extent, against Johann Duhaupas. Wilder could execute his bombs and eventually get all three out of there.
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But not this night, when Fury entered the ring to Patsy Cline’s ‘Crazy’ dressed as the King of the world, with Wilder coming in dressed like something from another planet.
The beating that transpired over the next seven rounds was sometimes brutal to watch. Wilder had never been roughhoused the way he was by Fury when dropped several times and bludgeoned from pillar to post.
Eventually, cornerman Mark Breland saved Wilder for another day. The move cost him his job, as Wilder wanted to go out on his shield. Breland probably wasted his time anyway, as Wilder has never been the same since that night.
Cutman Stitch Duran was in the opposite corner and witnessed the beatdown, as he was hardly needed in the fight. His comments post-fight have rung true to this very day.
After Wilder complained his water was spiked, his suit was too heavy, and conspiracies were at work to make him lose, Duran laid his cards on the table.
“I was looking at the other corner. But I always look at the other corner. I had told Sugar Hill and Andy Lee they would be stopping the fight,” said Duran. “Because the type of shots Deontay Wilder was getting causes what I would call long-term damage. That’s [what causes things like] dementia pugilistic. The punch-drunk syndrome. They were stunning, stunning shots from Tyson.”
On Breland’s intervention, Duran added, “What Wilder’s coach, Mark Breland, did was save his career and his mentality. The punches were deep and direct hits, like getting hit with a baseball bat.
“So it’s going to penetrate. Every time I see him hit guys, I know it hurts. But, they are the shots that penetrate deeply.”
Wilder put on a much better performance in the trilogy, so Duran is correct on that note, but the damage was already done regarding any long-term career for ‘The Bronze Bomber’ in the aftermath.
One win over his sparring partner Robert Helenius since then tells the story. Fury took everything from Wilder over that trilogy saga, not just his coveted and treasured WBC title belt.
