- Frank Warren has admitted he wasn’t sure what’s next for Deontay Wilder
- His comments came after hee was beaten by Joseph Parker on Saturday night
- He’s ready! We’re seeing a new and confident AJ now – Listen to The Hook
Frank Warren has suggested Deontay Wilder‘s ‘dreadful’ unanimous decision defeat by Joseph Parker on Saturday night’s ‘Day of Reckoning’ card could have been partly due to an injury that the American fighter was carrying.
Despite the fight going the distance, Parker upset the odds to defeat the former WBC heavyweight champion, with Boxing Scene reporting that the ‘Bronze Bomber’s’ punch stats were down in comparison.
The New Zealander reportedly landed 89 body punches in total compared to Wilder’s 39.
But it was a dominant display from parker, who’s victory may have scuppered plans for Wilder to face-off agianst long-standing rival Anthony Joshua in 2024, after Eddie Hearn announced after the bout that the contract to fight was ‘signed and was going to be announced‘ after Saturday night.
Hearn also slammed Wilder’s performance, and similarly his bitter rival, Warren also delivered an honest opinion of the ‘Bronze Bomber’s’ performance.
Frank Warren has suggested that Deontay Wilder may have been carrying an injury during his fight against Joseph Parker
Wilder suffered a unanimous decision defeat against his opponent, with Warren branding the American’s performance as ‘dreadful’
‘I thought he looked pretty dreadful,’ the Queensberry Promoter said to talkSPORT.
‘He did a very good job, Joe [Parker], right from the start. The first round they threw two punches.
‘Parker’s come through now and he’s done the business, but I really don’t know what he does now Deontay. I really don’t.’
‘I was just talking to Shelly Finkel [Wilder’s manager] and they were telling me that he had a problem. He went into one of those cryochambers and sat in it for a long time.
‘I don’t know. Obviously, there’s going to be some excuse.’
After the bout, Wilder had hinted that he could retire from the sport, when being asked on what his plans were next.
He said on his future to DAZN: ‘We’ll see what happens. We still have a little bit left, but I did a great job managing my money.’
On whether a potential bout against Anthony Joshua could have been a distraction, he added: ‘A little bit. It was a lot of talk about a lot of things. We make no excuses. We’ll be back for sure.
‘We have a little bit more left. I’ve done a great job with managing my money and investing. I’m a happy fighter. I’ll be back soon and if not, it’s been a pleasure.’
Taking to social media later in the evening, the 38-year-old shut down retirement talk after hinting that he could hang up the gloves
Warren lauded Parker following the bout, but added that he wasn’t sure where Wilder goes from here
Despite that, the 38-year-old subsequently shut down talk of retirement, after he addressed his fans in a post on Instagram.
Wilder said: ‘We came up short tonight. I don’t know what happened to be honest. My timing was off and I didn’t let my hands go like I was supposed to.
‘Sometimes it get like that but you live to see another fight. You live to see another moment, that’s all that matters. I’m still full of happiness, I’m still full of joy, still full of smiles.
‘Sorry if I let anyone down. But we’ll be back though, that’s the good thing about it.’