Could Deontay Wilder and Marsellos Wilder be concurrent champions?

Everyone knows who Deontay Wilder is, but his younger brother Marsellos is also a professional boxer. FanSided talked to Marsellos about his career.

Deontay Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs) is the intimidating WBC heavyweight champion whose right hand is the most dangerous weapon in the sport of boxing. As he prepares for his Dec. 1 title fight against Tyson Fury on Showtime pay-per-view, his brother Marsellos Wilder (2-0, 2 KOs) remains under the radar as he also readies for a cruiserweight bout on the undercard.

Deontay started boxing late at the age of 20. Marsellos began even later.

“I was 26 when I actually hit the gym,” Marsellos told FanSided. “I was also 26 when I had my [first] amateur bout.”

Marsellos didn’t have many amateur bouts. He started so late in the sport that his amateur career had to end abruptly.

“I haven’t too much of an amateur career — only seven fights,” Marsellos said. “But out of those seven fights I came out with five KOs. I get a lot of teaching with older guys and guys that are more knowledgeable in the game.”

Originally, Marsellos planned on being a football star. Deontay had the same aspiration before he started boxing, but Marsellos was an even brighter star on the field. He was a standout wide receiver at Tuscaloosa Central High School, but he didn’t have the grades to accept an FBS scholarship. Rumor has it that Ole Miss and UAB wanted to offer him a scholarship, but academics prevented it from happening.

He played football at Jackson State University which is an FCS school. Marsellos had a nice freshman year compiling 200 yards receiving, but he couldn’t find the field for the remainder of his career. The locals of Tuscaloosa say that he couldn’t stay focused enough during college.

When his dreams of football stardom evaporated, his brother’s success in the ring inspired him to follow the same path to boxing.

"Most definitely my motivation came from my brother. Ever since I was a little boy, I always looked up to my brother. Watching him is what introduced me to sports. Everything he did I wanted to do. It’s a little brother thing. I’ve got a lot of love for my brother. I always have that mindset in my head that if my brother can do it I can [too]."

At 29 years old, Marsellos is two fights into his professional career, but he’s already showing the same knockout ability as Deontay. Many Tuscaloosa locals who’ve seen Deontay and Marsellos perform on the football field during their high school years state that Marsellos was the better athlete. Marsellos wouldn’t say he’s a better athlete than Deontay yet, but he thinks he has the potential to be even better.

“I’m shallow in my career, so I still got some room to prove myself,” Marsellos said. “Right now, I am just as athletic as my brother. As I get more teaching, I think I have the ability to be more athletic than him.”

He’s got a long way to go before he challenges top opposition in the cruiserweight division, but his third bout will be at the Staples Center in an undercard bout leading up to Deontay’s showdown with Fury. Marsellos isn’t in a rush to make his fantasies come true, but his overall objective is lofty. Just because his dream seems farfetched, doesn’t mean it won’t come true. After all, the Wilder’s have a way of making the impossible become a reality.

“I want to become the undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world while my brother is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world,” Marsellos said. “That’s my ultimate dream. I won’t stop until I make it come true.”