Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilderâs legacy will be further cemented through the May 25 unveiling of his life-size statue in his hometown Tuscaloosa, Alabama.The statue recognises the rarity of the accomplishments of the Bronze Bomber, according to sculptor Caleb OâConnor. He gave the insight that the decline of interest within America and boxing correlates to there having been no champions other than Wilder from the States in the last 10 years.Sculptor Caleb OâConnor said: âOne of the most important things I saw in regards to the sculpture is the idea that Deontay needs to be recognised for what he has done.âWe havenât had an American champion in over 10 years."Boxing has lost its popularity in the United States because we havenât been winning, and finally we have the absolute real deal right here in Tuscaloosa.âWilder thanked God for the statue, saying: "I wasnât even expecting this. Thatâs why you say God works in mysterious ways.
âI know Iâm gonna set a lot of records and Iâm gonna break a lot of records along my journey, but this right here, this is something God is giving â not only to me, but to my state and my city.
âI can just see people coming to the state of Alabama, touring the city of Tuscaloosa, looking at the statue.
âThis will be something for my children, their children, their childrenâs children.
âIâm very happy with this project, Iâm very excited about it.â
The Bronze Bomber, whoâs widely believed to be the hardest puncher in modern boxing history, was always a natural athlete. He turned down the chance to continue his education through playing college football or basketball in hopes of achieving what he has since.
Wilder's achievements in his boxing career have put his hometown on the map, according to the president of Visit Tuscaloosa advertisement page, and thatâs the reasoning behind the awarding of the statue, to pay tribute to that.
The American will be looking to add to his legacy as he will be stepping into the ring again after the WBC president revealed he is âlooking forward to resuming his boxing career.'
This was not an easy decision for Wilder to make after he was knocked out by Tyson Fury in Octoberâs third fight of their historic trilogy.