Deontay Wilder at 2008 Olympics: What Really Happened?

Former WBC champion Deontay Wilder began boxing at the age of 20, while most of his current contemporaries had begun their training as children. However Wilder still found his way to the top and within a brief span, he became one of the most treacherous knockout artists.

Excluding all the professional achievements, Wilder won the bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics, 2008, before turning pro. He had a monumental run of 7 undefeated fights before losing the semi-final against Italy’s Clemente Russo. Surprisingly, Russo never turned a professional. However, he remained the one to eliminate Deontay Wilder and Oleksandr Usyk from the 2008 Olympics.

Following the Olympic loss, Wilder departed with the bronze medal and the nickname of ‘The Bronze Bomber. But, he was heartbroken at that point.

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Deontay Wilder vs Clemente Russo- The fight that changed the American boxer

Wilder seemed inevitable in the Olympics in 2008, and no one seemed to be able to crack his game plan. However, Russo took a different path and outpointed a young Deontay Wilder throughout. Although Wilder had his minor moments in the ring, it wasn’t enough to bag the win.

From the very beginning, Russo landed bigger jabs and controlled the range. Meanwhile, the future WBC champion caught him with some good hooks. But, the Italian pugilist bounced back and returned fire with more intensity.

As the fight went deeper, Russo looked comfortable and landed prominent shots to advance himself on the scorecard. While Wilder stood toe-to-toe with his opponent till the final bell, he had taken a lot of damage. Despite all the efforts, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ lost the fight and exited the Olympics at the semi-final stage.

Many predicted ‘The Bronze Bomber’ to win a gold medal, but it didn’t happen, and Wilder learned the harsh truth about combat sports.

Speaking about the defeat, Wilder connected with Sky Sports and said, “My heart was broken in the Olympics. You can train for four years but when you get to the big dance, your fate doesn’t lie in your hands.”

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The lessons helped him on the professional circuit as he surpassed almost every elite fighter and reigned as the WBC champion for half a decade before going down to Tyson Fury.

Wilder knocked out almost every opponent he has faced with 41 KOs in 44 fights. That said, he has knocked down all of his opponents, including Tyson Fury.

Do you think Deontay Wilder will become a heavyweight world champion again? Was his defeat to ‘The Gypsy King’ similar to his Olympic loss, and can it awaken the beast within?

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