‘My last chance’: Wilder taking Zhang fight as his final stand

Deontay Wilder will look to recapture the magic that once had him as a world heavyweight champion.

With former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder slated for a fight against Zhilei Zhang, he appeared at a press conference today where he acknowledge the state of his career and explains why this fight is make or break for him. Wilder, who’s lost three of his last four fights, says he’s regained his passion and also coming into to this fight knowing this might be his last if he doesn’t perform well.

“I feel good,” Wilder began. “It’s a blessing just to be back in the scenes of everything...nobody ever thought me and ol’ Eddie would be working together so this is the ultimate surprise right here. And like Eddie said to Frank, it’s a shame we can’t work together in the business of boxing. This is what it’s all about, the best fighting the best, the best promoters going against the best promoters and putting the fighters together.

“I’m looking forward to the fight. Zhang, I respect Zhang, he’s a good fighter and I respect him for that. But it’s my time. I’ve been through a lot, you understand me, and I’ve had to regroup, I’ve had to get myself together and things don’t just change overnight. Things don’t change for the next fight or so. You have to keep working, you have to keep pushing, you have to keep working, keep pushing, until you get what you want.

“And I’m at this point in time where I’m narrowing it down and come the night of the fight we’ll see if I got it or not. This fight I’m holding it as my last stand, my last chance, and that’s what I’m taking it as. I’m just ready to do what I’m known to do and be the Wilder I am.

“You know, I lost my love and my passion for this business, I lost my hunger for so many different reasons. But now I’m in an opportunity where I’m dealing with people that I love...and it’s amazing to be around people who appreciate what they see in front of them.

“I’m not playing around this time, I have nothing to lose. I’ve lost a lot of things in my life, even including some of the closest people in my life, so I don’t feel like I have nothing else to lose, but only to gain.”