In a chat with Vegas Insider, Deontay Wilder, the former WBC world heavyweight champ, shared who landed the hardest punch he's ever felt. Surprisingly, it wasn't Tyson Fury, his biggest rival.

The Bronze Bomber caught everyone off guard by saying it was Johann Duhaupas. He said, “That dude hit me so hard, I still think about it! I swear, he had rocks in his gloves!”

“I'm really into energy these days. That might change, but right now, when I think about the hardest hit, I remember Johann Duhaupas, that guy from France. Every time he'd jab me, I was thinking, 'Man, this guy hits hard.' I was like, 'I can't keep taking these jabs!' He's the only fighter who made me think like that, like, 'Dang, that hurt.' That's all I really remember. I always give him props for that. So, with respect to him, I still think about him.

Wilder also talked about his dream opponent:

If he could face any fighter in their prime, he said, “It's always been Joe Louis. I got into boxing because of him, and my nickname comes from him. Joe Louis was from Alabama, 'The Brown Bomber.' I'm from Alabama, won a bronze medal, and became 'The Bronze Bomber.' Pitting the Brown Bomber against the Bronze Bomber just sounds right.

He added, There are so many great fighters. I always liked the idea of fighting Evander Holyfield, one of the best. He didn't get the credit he deserved.

When asked about the current U.S. heavyweight boxing scene, Wilder said:

“When I'm boxing, I'm all in. But when I'm not, I'm out. I don't watch much, and I don't go to a lot of fights. I'm busy with a lot of stuff. I wear many hats. I used to be really into sports, but not so much anymore.

He said, “Sometimes when you see how things really are behind the scenes, it's not as interesting. I know the truth. When you don't know anything, you're not surprised by anything. But when you know what's really going on, it takes the fun out of it. At one point, I didn't love boxing as much because of stuff I knew was true.

“Fans might see a different story, but they don't have the inside scoop. That's why I say certain things, and people react. They think I'm making excuses. I always say my truth is others' excuses. If you want to see it that way, go ahead. I've told you the truth, and the truth sets you free.”

Jake Paul is out of the WBA cruiserweight rankings after losing to Anthony Joshua. That fight went down on December 19 in Miami. Paul stepped up to heavyweight for it, but Joshua—a former two-time champ—dropped him a few times before finishing things in the sixth round.

Even though the loss happened at heavyweight, Paul’s standing at cruiserweight took a hit. When the WBA updated their rankings at the end of December, Paul was no longer on the list. He’d been sitting at No. 14, but now it’s just the usual 15 names, and he’s not one of them.

Paul, 28, first cracked the WBA rankings after beating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. back in June. Chavez Jr., if you don’t know, is a former middleweight champ and the son of the legendary Chavez Sr. That win by decision helped Paul’s case, but losing to Joshua knocked him out of the conversation. His pro record now sits at 12-2, and on top of the loss, he broke his jaw in two places. That’s a rough way to end a fight—especially after his last heavyweight appearance 13 months back, when he beat Mike Tyson on points.

At cruiserweight, Paul’s picked up wins against former UFC guys like Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley, and Mike Perry. His first pro loss came in that division too, when Tommy Fury—Tyson Fury’s half-brother—outpointed him in 2023.

So, what’s next for Jake? Nobody really knows yet. He’s been calling out Canelo Alvarez for ages, hoping to score a fight with the Mexican superstar. Canelo, 35, is a former champ in four different weight classes and has twice held all the super-middleweight belts at once. But in his last fight, he lost those titles to Terence Crawford. Crawford, who’s 38, actually retired in December after beating Canelo on points.

While Paul figures out his next move, Joshua is recovering from a car crash in Nigeria that killed two of his friends. He was just a passenger in an SUV when their convoy hit a parked truck along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele—both close with Joshua—died in the accident on Monday. Joshua himself got away with only minor injuries.