Deontay Wilder Breaks Down After Brutal KO: "We risk our lives"

Deontay Wilder took on a more serious tone during his post-fight press conference, reflecting on the dangers of the sport and his concern for Robert Helenius.

On Saturday night, Wilder took down Helenius in a brutal knockout – with just 3 seconds left in the first round at New York’s Barclays Center. Wilder, known as the “Bronze Bomber” is widely hailed for his power punches, a responsibility he does not take lightly. This fight is considered by many, including Wilder himself, as the fight that has put him back in the game after back-to-back losses to Tyson Fury last year.

Deontay Wilder gets emotional and cries at the post-fight presser after his KO of Robert Helenius as he discusses the dangers of boxing and Prichard Colon, who suffered a life-altering brain injury…

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Wilder reflected on the dangers of the sport:

“I’m a big advocate for fighters because like I always say, we get done wrong. A sport is something you play. You don’t play this. We risk our lives for you guys’ entertainment and I speak that forever.”

When speaking about his friend and former training partner, Wilder continued:

“I wanted to come to his aid but they wouldn’t let me and I understood, because he needed space. But my heart goes out to him and I hope he’s doing OK and he can be able to go back to his family, because this is a tough business that we’re in. This is why I tell people, you’ve got to respect all fighters.”

Wilder got particularly emotional has he brought up Prichard Colon, a fighter who suffered a tragic brain injury in 2015.

“Now his family has to take care of him for the rest of his life. He probably would have been the breadwinner of his family and now they’re seeking help and s*** like that. I could say so much about it. That’s why you can’t play this. This is serious.”

Wilder, understanding the risk in what he does, showed remorse when reflecting on the possible long-term consequences the fight could have on his friend:

“We don’t know if Robert is going to be the same after this. I just did a job. I’m great at what I do. I don’t mean to take people away from their lifestyle of living. I’m just trying to support my family as well.”

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