FORMER WBC CHAMP DEONTAY WILDER RANKS HIS TOUGHEST OPPONENTS OF ALL TIME
Deontay Wilder shocks fans by naming Johann Duhaupas as his hardest opponent, bypassing Tyson Fury. Discover his truth on boxing.
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.”
TYSON FURY BLASTS ANTHONY JOSHUA AFTER DANIEL DUBOIS STOPS FABIO WARDLEY IN MANCHESTER
Tyson Fury has labelled Anthony Joshua "chinny" after Daniel Dubois secured the WBO heavyweight title against a resilient Fabio Wardley.
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Tyson Fury wasted no time after Daniel Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley this past weekend, using the moment to take a shot at Anthony Joshua.
Dubois picked up his second heavyweight title Saturday night in Manchester, grabbing the WBO belt from Wardley in a wild, bloodied battle that’s already being called a fight of the year candidate.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Dubois, though. He hit the canvas twice in the first three rounds but bounced back hard, battering Wardley late and leaving his face a mess as the final bell sounded.
Wardley never actually went down during the fight, despite looking wobbly near the end. Credit to him for sheer toughness, but Dubois still beat him decisively. This was Dubois’ first victory since his massive upset over Anthony Joshua earlier in 2024, when he floored AJ four times in one night.
On Sunday, Fury chimed in about Dubois’ latest win. With his own fight against Joshua rumoured for later this year on Netflix, Fury saw an opening to stir the pot.
“Just been thinking about Dubois’ crazy fight last night,” Fury said. Dubois fought [Jarrell] Miller, stopped him, but never put him down. He fought. [Filip] Hrgovic stopped him but never put him down. Fought Wardley last night and stopped him, but didn’t put him down. He hit Usyk with bombs but didn’t drop him. But against Anthony Joshua? Drops him five times.”
Fury added, “I’m not saying Joshua’s got no chin, but facts are facts. Take it however you want. Nobody else went down, not Miller, not Hrgovic, not Usyk, not Wardley. But Joshua hits the deck five times? Chinny, get up, slink!”
Fury is coming off a comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov and has already signed on to fight Joshua this year. Joshua will warm up first against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Pregna in Saudi Arabia on July 25 before facing Fury.
Promoter Frank Warren says Fury vs. AJ will probably land in October, though Fury might want another tune-up, which could push things back a bit.
As for Dubois, he’s got options. There’s talk of a rematch with Wardley, a chance to settle the score with Usyk in a trilogy, or a domestic showdown with Moses Itauma. Dubois’ dad, Stan, told talkSPORT he’d rather see his son fight another British heavyweight next, not Usyk.
HOW DANIEL DUBOIS SURVIVED TWO KNOCKDOWNS TO STOP A BLOODY FABIO WARDLEY
"I had to dig deep." Read Daniel Dubois' full reaction to his stunning comeback victory against Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
The punch that changed everything wasn't thrown by either of the fighters.
Fabio Wardley came out blazing in his title defence, dropping Daniel Dubois just 10 seconds in. He did it again in the third round, making it look like his big night. But then, something strange happened. As Dubois got up after the fourth round, his trainer, Don Charles, slapped him hard on both cheeks.
That’s when Dubois woke up. “I had to make him realise what he needed to do,” Charles said afterwards. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you see at team-building seminars, but it worked. Dubois turned on, and suddenly Wardley’s reign started to unravel.
Wardley had picked Dubois for the first fight since collecting the WBO belt that Oleksandr Usyk dropped. Honestly, it looked like a smart pick: he dropped Dubois twice and set the tone. But after that slap, Dubois started seeing Wardley’s moves coming; those wild lunges became easier to dodge.
He landed his stiff jab and followed up with savage right hands. Wardley’s jaw somehow took the hits, but his nose was pouring blood, and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He kept pushing forward, showing crazy heart, while Dubois just kept piling on. The fight turned into a brutal spectacle, the kind you can’t look away from.
Wardley got checked twice by doctors but kept fighting. Honestly, it could've stopped before the second-to-last round, when referee Howard Foster finally stepped in. Dubois got his second world title; Wardley, battered and worn, just managed a thumbs up to his mum.
Dubois summed it up later: “I had to dig really deep. When you’re a warrior, you go to dark places. I was nervous at first, all over the place, and had to fight my own battles. That slap woke me up. My dad and everyone were in my corner; I couldn’t let them down.
“Fabio came to fight; he was tough. We were exhausted; it was a real war. I had to use all my skills to win. Great fight, great battle, and I’m No. 1 again.” Sure, Usyk might argue about that, but Dubois proved something; he got up off the canvas and won.
People have called Dubois a quitter since the Joe Joyce fight six years ago. Wardley himself thought Dubois would fold again in Manchester, and for three rounds it looked like he was right until reality snapped Dubois awake.
