There was a time Deontay Wilder ruled the heavyweight division with an iron fist. He had one of the scariest knockout ratios and was labeled the hardest hitter in boxing. However, since suffering two back-to-back losses to Tyson Fury in 2020-21, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ hasn’t been the same.

Despite producing a first-round knockout win over Robert Helenius in 2022, his next two fights against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang relegated him to the retirement corner. He took a year off and decided to make a comeback against journeyman Tyrrell Herndon on June 27th. Ahead of the fight, reports revealed he parted ways with long-time trainer Malik Scott, but secured a 7th-round knockout win on fight night, making his return a solid hit. However, not everyone agrees.

Jarrell Miller, who has had a long-standing feud with Deontay Wilder, recently spoke to Fight Hub TV, claiming that Wilder isn’t the same anymore, despite the former champion delivering one of his signature knockouts just last Friday. “Deontay look[ed] like a bag of wet dog s***,” ‘Big Baby’ Miller told the reporter when asked about his thoughts on Wilder’s comeback. “Unfortunately, he did not look like his normal self.”

He further added that if a fight between them ever gets made, he would put Wilder “in a body bag.” It’s worth noting that Miller had called out the now-39-year-old for a fight in the past, and the trash talk between them had given wind to the speculations of a fight. Despite the excitement, though, the bout never materialized. Regardless, Miller explained the rationale behind his verdict for Wilder. 

“Deontay Wilder’s last name is called Wilder. The Wild Man… 17 amateur fights and was a bronze medalist. You can’t teach that s***,” Miller continued. “Wilder is wild, and he wins fight. He’s unpredictable. He’s hard to read. So why change that? That’s what got him to a championship level and kept him champion for a long time.” He gave props to Wilder for carrying the heavyweight division for a time, but remained firm on his stance, stating, “he’s not the same person right now.”

The same person or not, Wilder’s latest win opened doors to a potential fight against Anthony Joshua. On the other hand, Miller had to pull out of the Fabio Wardley fight at Portman Road, Ipswich, due to a shoulder injury sustained during training camp. Regardless, Wilder and Miller have been feuding for a long time. It got so bad that Wilder once allegedly sent Miller to the hospital.

Deontay Wilder claims to have concussed Jarrell Miller

Back in November 2023, Wilder appeared in an interview with Blue Blood Sports TV, where he claimed he once gave Miller a concussion during a brutal sparring session. “That dude was taunting me for everything I did… I was like, ‘I’m trying to make a name for myself,’ and he was already hating,” Wilder said. 

So, when Miller surprisingly showed up for sparring, Wilder knew what had to be done. “I said, ‘Oh s***, he came in the lion’s den.’ I didn’t want no water, just ring that bell,” Wilder recollected. ‘The Bronze Bomber’ claimed the sparring session quickly turned into a personal fight. “I was talking the whole motherf***ing spar and beating his a**.”

He claimed Miller was concussed and taken to the hospital, despite Miller later blaming the heat. “His cousin didn’t come and get him, we took him to the hospital, the motherf***er forgot all that s**t,” Wilder stated bluntly.

From the looks of things, Jarrell Miller seems to be in the mood to revitalize his rivalry with Deontay Wilder, so he can land a fight before the 39-year-old hangs up his gloves for good. Would you like to watch this fight?