Deontay Wilder lashes out at De La Hoya and Golden Boy: 'They gave me the leftovers'
Deontay Wilder criticized Oscar de La Hoya when he was with Golden Boy and fighting for the title
Former heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder broke his silence and launched a strong response against Oscar de la Hoya, after the legendary former boxer and promoter described him as a fighter who He didn't reach his full potential.
Far from accepting the criticism, Wilder defended his career with a speech full of pride, reproaches, and direct accusations against Golden Boy Promotions.
“That's crazy. Maybe their definition of an underachiever is different from ours,” Wilder began, recalling that he came to boxing late, officially starting at 21, when many had already written him off. “They told me it was too late, that I had no future. Even so, I went in and knocked out everyone who stood in front of me.”
From obscurity to world champion
Wilder reviewed his meteoric rise: in a year and a half, he went from being a novice to qualifying for the Olympic Games, where he also won a medal as the least experienced boxer on the US team. “Eight years later I became world champion, with one of the highest knockout percentages in boxing history, and even today I remain one of the most talked-about heavyweights,” he emphasized. In that context, the 'Bronze Bomber' posed the key question: “At what point along that path was I supposed to be an underachiever, when everything was against me and I had no resources?” Direct accusations against Golden Boy. Wilder also explained that his relationship with Golden Boy was more complicated than many believe. He asserted that for years he did not receive the expected promotional support, to the point of having to borrow money from the promoter to be able to put on events.
“While other fighters were getting opportunities, I was waiting for calls. When I did fight, I got the scraps, even though I was the best in the group,” he complained.
According to the former champion, only when he was about to fight for the world title did he feel that De la Hoya tried to promote him publicly.
“If they had totally controlled me,"Perhaps today I would be an underachiever. But thanks to forging our own path, I got to where I am today," he stated. Wilder closed his message with a defiant and personal declaration: "I am the rose that rose from the concrete. I am not an underachiever, I am an overachiever."