Alabama native and Olympic bronze medalist Deontay Wilder will headline his first in-state professional boxing match in Tuscaloosa in February.
The undefeated heavyweight will be competing in his first professional fight since the Alabama Athletic Commission was created. Wilder is the first boxer to obtain his license since the commission was created.
The Alabama Boxing Act was signed into law in 2009 by former Gov. Bob Riley. This act permits professional boxing in the state. It took more than a year for the commission to be created, but now Wilder is ready to fight.
Wilder is currently 14-0 as a professional boxer. He has traveled throughout the United States for fights in Las Vegas, Cincinnati and Chicago, among other cities, but is now looking forward to fighting in his home state of Alabama.
“Having boxing here in my state is a big deal,” Wilder said. “We will be able to do a lot more things and have more opportunities, especially for the local guys to start building their careers.”
Wilder wanted to see fights sanctioned in Alabama not only for himself and other boxers, but also for his fans.
“The people that are unfortunate and are big fans of boxing don’t have to travel,” said Wilder. “They can stay right here at home and come to the shows.”
He has been boxing since 2005 and focuses on his determination and athleticism. He stands at 6 feet 7 inches, and will weigh around 220 pounds for the fight. Trainer Jay Deas knew Wilder had potential the first day he walked into the gym.
“I knew that physically he had a lot of gifts,” said Deas. “He has a real interest in getting better, and you can’t ask for anything more than that.”
Wilder is training even though he doesn’t know who his opponent will be as of yet.
“Deontay is just looking to improve himself,” said Deas. “When we find out who he’s fighting, we’ll do what we can to exploit any weaknesses or any habits that the other guy has.”
Wilder grew up in Tuscaloosa and attended classes at Shelton State Community College. He found out he was expecting a daughter while he was in school and knew that he would need to get a job to support her.
“A buddy in college and I used to talk about what we wanted to do to succeed, and I brought up boxing,” Wilder said. “He thought it was a great idea, especially since when I was younger I used to fight a lot. I never looked for trouble, but trouble always found me.”
Wilder dreamed of being a boxer even as a child. With the new law, Wilder can continue his dream in his hometown.
“I always used to say when I was younger that if I were to go pro I would love to go pro in football, basketball or boxing,” Wilder said. “I just never thought boxing would be the one that I would go pro in, just for the simple fact that this is not a boxing state, but I always give it my all. With anything I do, I give 110 percent.
“This is just the beginning. With everything I do, I have a goal. I want to succeed in boxing. Once I retire, I want to be undefeated as a boxer. Another goal is that I want to have all my wins by knockouts.”
The fight will take place on Feb. 19 at Shelton State Community College.
