Soon Deontay Wilder meets Tyson Fury for the most important fight of his life. Outside the ring, his feelings towards Jarrell Miller are ominous.
On Saturday, Dec. 1, WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs) meets Tyson Fury (27-0, ) in the most important fight of his life financially and in regard to his legacy. The build-up to the contest has been entertaining and tumultuous, but there are only so many things that can be said back and forth. A bigger indication of a fighter’s chances in the ring has to do with their mental mindset and the circumstances transpiring in their personal lives. FanSided talked with Wilder during his training camp to get a clearer picture of the framework of Wilder’s intimate life.
Wilder has always presented a duality within his being. There’s Deontay Wilder the everyday man, and then there’s the ‘Bronze Bomber’ who wants nothing more than to beat his opponents senseless. At times, it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.
For a while, Wilder discussed his personal life. His life has changed dramatically since winning the world title, and not always for the better. His privacy is greatly reduced and trusting new parties is a difficult thing to navigate when you’re famous.
“Too many people worry about what you’re doing and where you’re at and who you’re with,” Wilder said. “Just personal stuff. People always in your business wanting to know too much.”
When asked about trust Wilder added, “Definitely hard to trust people. That’s why I say that when you start coming into wealth, it’s lonely at the top.”
One of the brightest spots in Wilder’s life has been finding love with his fiancée Telli Swift. The couple appeared on the show WAGS Atlanta and demonstrated a tremendous intensity. When asked about the impact Swift has on his life, the look in Wilder’s eyes changed. His furled browed softened, and a smile immediately spread across his face.
“She’s been amazing to my life — a very understandable person, a very strong woman,” Wilder said. ” She knows what position she plays as being my woman and me being the heavyweight champion of the world. I’m not the easiest cookie to be with, but I can only make her stronger as she makes me stronger.”
Their relationship is powerful and passionate, and the world saw that on WAGS. However, the eerie part of fame and fortune is that the people you love and cherish are vulnerable to the public eye and slander. It’s even worse if you’re in combat sports.
There’s an unwritten rule between fighters that family is off limits regarding public criticism, but 50 Cent invaded that edict in April when he posted a series of gossipy Instagram videos (since deleted) suggesting that Wilder’s fiancée had a previous relationship with heavyweight contender Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller.
Wilder considered 50 Cent a friend and wasn’t happy with the videos he posted, but surprisingly, he doesn’t bear 50 Cent any ill will.
"I didn’t like that one bit. He’s somewhat of an instigator. Just being around him in person, he’s got a good heart. He loves to talk to people and make people laugh. He’s just got that of him that he like to instigate a lot. Some people get thrills out of stuff like that, but I don’t f–k around with the family and s–t like that. But we sent him something to take it down and he did it immediately, so we respect that. Other than that, we ain’t worrying about what nobody else saying because all of it false. We move on with our life. I don’t dwell on certain situations."
The person Wilder doesn’t forgive is Miller, who has made cloaked public comments alluding to Wilder’s finacée. He spoke openly about his personal problems with Wilder to FanSided in October. Bringing family into boxing talk is off limits to Wilder. When asked about Miller’s comments, Wilder’s tone was quiet but menacing.
“Certain things you don’t cross,” Wilder warned. “Definitely family’s the one you don’t cross. Things happen to people when they cross people’s families. I’m a good dude, but when it comes to violence, I can go with the best of them. I’m the heavyweight champion of the world. I’m the baddest man on the planet.
“You got to be careful what you say and what you do and what you put out there. Because I have went and saw people. It ain’t anybody I want to go see.”
His words were enough to send chills down the spine. What did he mean by “certain things”? Which “people” did he see and why? He wasn’t trying to sell a fight, but instead making thinly veiled threats to Miller’s life. Wilder wasn’t playing games, and he wasn’t channeling his ‘Bronze Bomber’ persona. He exposed a glimpse of his darkest side — that side he hasn’t shown to the TV cameras for ratings.
Wilder recognized 50 Cent and Miller’s attempt to goad him into the ring with Miller, but it had the opposite effect.
“It don’t make me want to fight him [Miller] in the ring,” Wilder said. “That’s the wrong way to go about it in the ring because I already know what these guys do. They trying to do less work, to get the big payday, just to get a fight for a title, and that’s not how you’re going to get it with me.”
If Wilder’s previous threats to physically harm Miller were implicit, his next comments made his meaning crystal clear as his voice grew louder and rage poured out.
"It will get you a fight outside the ring and get you a motherf–king knot upside your head, or put you in the motherf–king grave. That’s what it will do. People got to understand my personality. I’m a great dude, but it’s a balance to that. What’s the opposite of being good? Very bad goddamnit. You can be good and very bad, and that’s me. I don’t have a medium. I go from zero to 100 and that’s it. Either I’m happy, or I’m mad. There ain’t no in-between with me. I don’t fake it with people."
The look in Wilder’s eye was piercing. His diatribe wasn’t an act. He meant every word he said.
The conversation moved from Miller to his actual opponent, Fury. The ferocious waves of Wilder’s hostility subsided, and the calm after the storm arrived. The “great dude” was back as he poked fun at Fury’s physical shape.
“I think he still have a little love handles on him, and I’m looking like I’m going to be able to grab them things and hold on to them and go for a ride baby,” Wilder said. “Yeehaw! But other than that, he looking good. I think that’s the best shape that he’s gonna be in.”
To end our conversation Wilder offered up a diplomatic fight prediction, “It can go two ways — it can end early, or it can go into later rounds. It all depends on how well our styles connect with each other. Come that first round, we gonna see.”
Wilder isn’t concerned about Fury in the least. He has respect for his opponent and realizes he’s a test, but to him, he’s just another challenger. Wilder views boxing as a business despite his volatile antics at press conferences or his displays of anger in front of cameras. He’s a loving father who can be a charmer. But if you make verbal attacks concerning his family or those he loves, his Mr. Hyde appears in place of the ‘Bronze Bomber.’ The scary thing is that Fury might be safer in the ring with Wilder than Miller is outside it.