Deontay Wilder is one of the most intimidating knockout artists to ever compete in the heavyweight division.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ has one of the greatest highlight reels in boxing, which includes a thunderous knockdown of Tyson Fury.
The former champion seemingly possessed power unlike any other, as Wilder demolished opponents while at the top of the division.
Although there are some top names on his resume, there are some figures that Wilder has not shared the ring with. Perhaps the most notable is Anthony Joshua. However, there is another British favorite who Wilder once exchanged words with.
Deontay Wilder and Tony Bellew had a heated exchange in 2017
British boxing star Tony Bellew hung up his gloves in 2018 after a grueling fight with Oleksandr Usyk. However, the former cruiserweight world champion will be long remembered in the sport.
Bellew’s only outings at heavyweight were against David Haye, as the two had a brace of fights in 2017 and 2018. However, Bellew’s life-changing fights might not have been his only appearances in the division when he clashed with Wilder in 2017.
Shortly after Bellew’s first meeting with Haye, at the Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko weigh-ins, Wilder had some choice words for the former British champion.
Wilder interrupted an interview between Bellew and IFL TV by calling the Englishman a ‘boy.’ Bellew responded by saying “I ain’t no boy.”
The Englishman would go on to say, “I’ve dealt with the second-most dangerous heavyweight in the world already, I don’t need to fear no one,” referring to Haye.
Wilder would then respond by saying, “You ain’t dealt with this power though,” referring to himself. Bellew’s reaction to the comment was, “I’ve dealt with someone more powerful than you.”
The American would then explain the damage he deals to his opponents, as Bellew replied, “I don’t care what the hell you’ve done.”
The two continued to trade barbs back and forth with one another, even alluding to a fight at one stage. However, the pair never met in the ring.
- READ MORE: Deontay Wilder left an opponent twitching on the floor after landing a terrifying knockout blow
Deontay Wilder to return to boxing in 2025
After dropping his WBC World Heavyweight title to Tyson Fury in 2020, Wilder has been unable to reach the top of the division since.
A second loss to Fury in 2021, and further defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang would place the knockout artist further away from a world title as he is 1-4 in his last five. However, Wilder will look to return to the win column in 2025.
With his last outing being his 2024 loss to Zhang, Wilder will face Tyrrel Anthony Herndon (24-5) on June 27th, 2025. The fight will happen just over one year after his last bout.