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Age appears to have been getting to Deontay Wilder – but don’t tell him that.
The 39-year-old boxer went 42-0-1 in his first 43 fights, retaining his heavyweight title 10 times, but he has since lost four of his last six.
Despite his recent skid, Wilder still believes he has “10 years left” in the game, and he has his eyes on someone specific.
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Deontay Wilder of Team Matchroom weighs in on May 31, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Jake Paul weighs in ahead of his fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at the Honda Center on June 27, 2025, in Anaheim, California. (Getty Images)
Rumors and speculation have constantly swirled that Wilder would eventually get into the ring with Jake Paul, and he could make it a reality.
“It’s been lingering around, the discussions, we haven’t gotten anything on the desk or anything like that. It’s just rumors at the moment of time, but if it came across the desk, I’m definitely down,” Wilder told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “If it came across, I’d definitely accept it. I know a lot of the fans would love to see it.”
Paul’s lone heavyweight fight was last year against Mike Tyson, which took place at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. When asked where Wilder would want to fight Jake Paul, he suggested Hawaii, and the he wants the help of one of sports’ best hospitality companies.
“We might have to get On Location to get the whole experience of what a punch feels like!” Wilder said.
Wilder recently partnered with On Location, as he will be a part of VIP experiences for the Canelo Alvarez-Terrance Crawford fight in Las Vegas next month.
Heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder shadowboxes during a media workout at UFC APEX on Sept. 22, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
JAKE PAUL TO FIGHT GERVONTA ‘TANK’ DAVIS IN NOVEMBER EXHIBITION ON NETFLIX
“Man, I’m looking forward to being able to participate in the festivities and then being able to have On Location in one of my fights. This Crawford-Canelo fight in Vegas, man, it’s going to be a major spectacle of a fight. It’s going to be crazy,” he said.
“And the official experience provider of this fight is On Location, which is the best way to experience it all, bro. They get you closer than ever to the action, inside and outside of the ring. And I’m letting people know that I’ll be there on site as well. I’ll be at the fight with On Location meeting and hanging out with guests, and it’s going to be good. I’m looking forward to it.”
Wilder’s last fight came back in June – one day before Paul’s last bout (they both won). Whenever his next fight may be, he will be searching for back-to-back victories for the first time since 2019. At first, he got into boxing because he had to pay for medical bills for his daughter, who was born with spina bifida.
“Daddy wasn’t going to let her down, because he promised her he wasn’t,” Wilder said.
But now, he wants to be “selfish” and fight for himself.
“I’ve been taking care of people ever since I was 12 years old. I’ve never been single in my adult life. So, in my life, I’ve always been taking care of people. Always, and still do to this day! But at this point in time, I’m selfish,” Wilder said. “I’ve been selfless for a very long time. You know, a lot of people appreciated it, and a lot of people didn’t. But at the end of the day, one gets so tired of being able to have to take care of so many people. Even the times you don’t even feel like it, you don’t want to, or you don’t feel like it’s even your responsibility, but because you are a good person and your intuition, your heart telling you to help this person out. Because the more you give, the more you receive from those that love and believe.
“So I’ve given and given and given and given, and at this point in time in my life, the second chapter’s come around, the older Wilder, you know, I’m selfish. I deserve to be selfish at this point in time, because I spared my youth of being selfless from the age of 12 and up, man. I’m about to be 40, and now I got to be selfish. About to have a little fun, I’m about to mingle!”
US boxer Deontay Wilder (R) fights Swedish-Finnish boxer Robert Helenius during their 12-round WBC World Heavyweight Title Eliminator fight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Oct. 15, 2022. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
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Paul is currently set to fight Gervonta “Tank” Davis on Nov. 14, 364 days after his bout with Tyson, in an exhibition. Paul is roughly 60 pounds heavier than Davis, with six weight classes separating the two from each of their last fights.
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