Deontay Wilder has drafted in the most unlikely of sparring partners ahead of his upcoming clash with Zhilei Zhang.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ squares off against Zhang on June 1 in his first fight back since a shock decision loss to Joseph Parker at the back end of last year.
Wilder looked like a shadow of his former self as he was outworked and outboxed by the Kiwi in a lacklustre display at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The former WBC heavyweight world champion was heavily criticised for his gunshy approach to the contest.
However, he insists the ‘killer’ is back ahead of his summer showdown.
As Wilder attempts to resummon the beast within, he has been banking some hard rounds at his gym in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
“I needed that hurt!!!” Wilder captioned a collection of snapshots from his sparring session on Sunday.
“It’s A Magical feeling how pain makes you refocus!
No more Mr. Nice Guy! #BombZquad#TilThisDay.”
Among the boxers brought in to spar with Wilder was former foe Eric Molina – much to the dismay of fans.
Reacting to a picture of the pair together in the gym, one fan wrote: “Eric Molina in camp (hand on head).”
Another quipped: “With Eric Molina in camp bro I need to step up.”
A third commented: “Sparring with bums like Molina will get you beat.”
And a fourth disgruntled fan added: “Sparring with Molina won’t help you.”
Molina, a former world title challenger turned fringe world-level gatekeeper, fought Wilder in 2015 for the Alabama native’s WBC strap.
Besides wobbling Wilder with a decent left hook early doors he was unable to put up much of a fight as he was dropped three times en route to a ninth-round knockout loss.
A year later he got blasted out in the third stanza by Anthony Joshua in an attempt at the IBF title and has since gone on to lose six of his last nine bouts to varying levels of opposition.
Posting a video of himself and Wilder in the gym over the weekend, Molina wrote: “Happy Birthday to me! 42 volatile and blessed years.
“Never been undefeated and I’ll die an underdog. Closing the week out today sparring with @bronzebomber as he prepares for his next fight June 1.
“The champ has blessed me with so many opportunities. I will always have love and respect for him.
“I love my life! I love boxing! All things are possible through Jesus Christ. #Itwasalladream #boxingbrotherhood #blessedandhighlyfavored #artofbouncingback.”
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News Summary:
- ‘I needed that hurt’ – Deontay Wilder surprises fans by sparring boxer both he and Anthony Joshua have already knocked out
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