Career Timeline of Deontay Wilder: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Deontay Wilder made an impact.

Deontay Leshun Wilder is an American professional boxer best known for holding the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020. His win ended a significant drought for American boxers, marking him as the first American world heavyweight champion since 2007. This victory ended the longest period in boxing history without an American heavyweight champion.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2003: Most Lucrative Heavyweight Fight Since Ruiz vs. Jones

The Wilder vs. Fury event was the most lucrative heavyweight fight in the United States since the John Ruiz vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight in 2003.

October 2005: Started Boxing Training

In October 2005, Deontay Wilder began boxing training at Skyy Boxing Gym in Northport, Alabama, under Jay Deas at the age of 20.

2006: Wilder's Weight

In 2006, Deontay Wilder weighed his lightest since turning professional.

2007: First American World Heavyweight Champion Since 2007

In 2007, Deontay Wilder became the first American world heavyweight champion since 2007, ending the longest period without an American holding the title in boxing history.

2007: National Golden Gloves and U.S. Championships Wins

In 2007, Deontay Wilder won both the National Golden Gloves and the U.S. championships at 201 lb (91 kg).

February 29, 2008: Knocked Out by Evgenyi Romanov

On February 29, 2008, Deontay Wilder was knocked out by Evgenyi Romanov in a Russia-USA dual match in Novosibirsk.

November 15, 2008: Professional Boxing Debut

On November 15, 2008, at age 23, Deontay Wilder made his professional debut at the Vanderbilt University Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee, defeating Ethan Cox by a second-round technical knockout (TKO).

2008: Competed in the 2008 Olympics

In 2008, Deontay Wilder competed at heavyweight in the Olympics, where he defeated Abdelaziz Touilbini and Mohamed Arjaoui but lost to Clemente Russo in the semi-final to earn a bronze medal.

2008: Wilder's Debut Weight

In 2008, Deontay Wilder weighed 207+1⁄4 pounds, his lowest since his debut.

2008: Won Olympic Trials and Qualified for Olympics

In early 2008, Deontay Wilder won the Olympic trials and qualified for the Olympics by defeating Deivis Julio and Rafael Lima, after also edging out Rakhim Chakhiyev in Russia.

2008: Boxing at the 2008 Summer Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics boxing events occurred in 2008.

2009: Seven Fights in 2009

In 2009, Deontay Wilder fought seven times, winning all fights in the first round.

October 2012: 25-Fight Win Streak by October 2012

By October 2012, Deontay Wilder had achieved a 25-fight win streak, winning all by knockout and within four rounds, including notable stoppages against Owen Beck, DeAndrey Abron, and Damon Reed.

December 15, 2012: Won WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Title

On December 15, 2012, Deontay Wilder knocked out Kelvin Price to win the vacant WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title at the Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles.

May 2013: Wawrzyk's Loss to Povetkin

In May 2013, Andrzej Wawrzyk suffered a loss to Alexander Povetkin.

June 15, 2013: Wilder-Chisora Fight Falls Through

On June 15, 2013, a proposed fight between Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora at Wembley Arena in London fell through after Wilder's arrest and subsequent signing with Al Haymon.

August 9, 2013: Knocked Out Siarhei Liakhovich

On August 9, 2013, Deontay Wilder knocked out Siarhei Liakhovich in the first round at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California. Liakhovich later protested the outcome.

2013: Povetkin's last defeat

In 2013, Alexander Povetkin suffered his only defeat to Wladimir Klitschko.

August 2014: Defeated Jason Gavern by TKO

In August 2014, Deontay Wilder defeated Jason Gavern by TKO after Gavern's corner threw in the towel after round four at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

January 2015: Wilder's Viewership Numbers Against Stiverne

In January 2015, Deontay Wilder's fight against Stiverne drew an average of 824,000 viewers and peaked at 887,000 viewers on Showtime, which was slightly less than their first fight.

January 17, 2015: Won WBC Heavyweight Title

On January 17, 2015, Deontay Wilder defeated Bermane Stiverne by unanimous decision to win the WBC heavyweight title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, becoming the first American heavyweight world champion since Shannon Briggs. After the fight, Wilder dedicated his win to his disabled daughter and Muhammad Ali.

May 8, 2015: Announced First Title Defense in Alabama

On May 8, 2015, Deontay Wilder announced that he would make his first WBC heavyweight title defense in his home state of Alabama on June 13 against Eric Molina.

August 2015: Announced Second Title Defense

In August 2015, Deontay Wilder announced he would make his second WBC title defense against Johann Duhaupas on September 26 in Alabama.

December 2015: Showtime Confirms Wilder vs. Szpilka

In December 2015, Showtime confirmed that terms had been agreed for Deontay Wilder to defend his WBC title against Artur Szpilka on January 16, 2016.

2015: Won WBC Heavyweight Title

In 2015, Deontay Wilder won the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title, marking a significant career milestone.

2015: Wilder Defeats Stiverne

In 2015, Showtime registered over 1 million viewers when Deontay Wilder defeated Stiverne for the WBC title.

January 16, 2016: Wilder Defeats Szpilka by Knockout

On January 16, 2016, Deontay Wilder defeated Artur Szpilka by knockout in the ninth round, retaining his WBC title at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Wilder earned $1.5 million, while Szpilka got $250,000. The fight averaged 500,000 viewers and peaked at 623,000 viewers.

March 2016: Arreola's Suspension Ends

In March 2016, Chris Arreola's 90-day suspension ended, making him eligible to re-enter the WBC rankings.

May 21, 2016: Wilder vs. Povetkin Fight Scheduled

On May 21, 2016, Deontay Wilder was scheduled to defend his WBC heavyweight title against Alexander Povetkin at the Megasport Arena in Moscow, Russia. Wilder viewed this as an opportunity to enhance his legacy.

May 26, 2016: Arreola Emerges as Frontrunner

On May 26, 2016, Chris Arreola emerged as the frontrunner to challenge Deontay Wilder after Wilder's fight with Povetkin was cancelled.

July 16, 2016: Wilder Defeats Arreola, Suffers Injuries

On July 16, 2016, Deontay Wilder defeated Chris Arreola via TKO after eight rounds at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. Wilder broke his right hand and tore his biceps during the fight. Wilder earned $1.4 million to Arreola's $150,000. The fight averaged 1.8 million viewers on FOX.

December 21, 2016: Wilder vs. Wawrzyk Fight Talks

On December 21, 2016, advanced talks began for Deontay Wilder to fight Andrzej Wawrzyk on February 25, 2017, at the Legacy Arena in Alabama.

2016: Parker's busiest year since 2016

The year 2016 marked Joseph Parker's busiest year with five fights, a feat he wouldn't repeat until the fight with Wilder in December 2023.

January 30, 2017: Washington Replaces Wawrzyk

On January 30, 2017, Gerald Washington was announced as the replacement to face Deontay Wilder on February 25.

February 14, 2017: Wilder Wins Lawsuit Over Fight Cancellation

On February 14, 2017, Deontay Wilder won $7 million plus legal fees in court over the cancellation of the fight against Alexander Povetkin.

February 25, 2017: Scheduled Date for Wilder vs. Wawrzyk Fight

February 25, 2017, was the scheduled date for a fight between Deontay Wilder and Andrzej Wawrzyk at the Legacy Arena in Alabama. However, the fight did not materialize.

February 27, 2017: Wilder Ordered to Fight Stiverne

On February 27, 2017, the WBC ordered Deontay Wilder to fight mandatory challenger Bermane Stiverne, with negotiations to begin immediately.

March 2017: Barclays Center Boxing Crowd

In March 2017, the Thurman vs. Garcia fight was attended by 16,533 people and was the Barclays Center's second-biggest boxing crowd.

July 18, 2017: Negotiations for Wilder vs. Ortiz

On July 18, 2017, a deal was being negotiated for Deontay Wilder to make his sixth defense of his WBC title against Luis Ortiz, with potential dates in October and November.

November 4, 2017: Wilder vs. Ortiz Fight Finalization and Stiverne Step-Aside

On November 4, 2017, the WBC worked on a deal to finalize Wilder vs. Ortiz, with Stiverne agreeing to a step-aside fee. However, the fight was called off due to Ortiz failing a drugs test.

2017: Wilder defeats Washington

In 2017, Deontay Wilder defeated Gerald Washington by TKO in round five in front of a hometown crowd. Washington earned $250,000 and Wilder earned $900,000. The fight averaged 1.76 million viewers.

2017: Wilder's Return and Fury Negotiations

In 2017, Deontay Wilder recovered from surgery and resumed training. Negotiations began for a potential world title fight against Hughie Fury in the first quarter of 2017.

March 3, 2018: Wilder vs Ortiz Potential Fight

On March 3, 2018, a potential fight between Wilder and Ortiz for Wilder's WBC heavyweight title was scheduled to take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

June 2018: Joshua vs Povetkin Negotiations

From April until the end of June 2018, there were talks between the Joshua and Wilder camps over a heavyweight unification fight. However, on June 26, 2018, negotiations took a turn when the WBA gave Joshua's camp 24 hours to finalize a deal with Povetkin.

August 2018: Fury's Weight

In August 2018, Tyson Fury weighed in at 256+1⁄2 pounds against Francisco Pianeta.

September 2018: Joshua vs Povetkin Fight

In September 2018, Joshua vs. Povetkin was announced.

November 2018: Fury vs. Wilder Airing

In November 2018, the Fury vs. Wilder fight would take place in either Las Vegas or New York, and would be aired on PPV in the United States on Showtime and in the UK on BT Sports Box Office.

December 1, 2018: Wilder vs. Fury Fight

On December 1, 2018, Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury were scheduled to fight.

December 2018: Negotiations for a fight between Fury and Wilder

In either November or December 2018, there were ongoing negotiations for a fight to take place between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.

2018: Wilder vs Ortiz Fight

Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz fought in 2018.

April 2019: Joshua-Wilder Potential Fight

In April 2019, Hearn stated that the Joshua-Wilder fight would still take place at Wembley Stadium.

May 18, 2019: Wilder Defeats Breazeale

On May 18, 2019, Deontay Wilder defended his WBC heavyweight title against Dominic Breazeale via knockout in the first round.

November 23, 2019: Wilder vs. Ortiz Rematch

On November 23, 2019, Deontay Wilder faced Luis Ortiz again, winning by seventh-round knockout to retain his WBC heavyweight title.

November 27, 2019: Wilder vs Fury Rematch Announced

On November 27, 2019, it was announced that Deontay Wilder would face Tyson Fury on February 22, 2020, in a rematch of their 2018 bout.

February 22, 2020: Wilder Loses to Fury

On February 22, 2020, Deontay Wilder lost to Tyson Fury via seventh-round technical knockout, losing his WBC heavyweight title.

2020: Loss of WBC Heavyweight Title

In 2020, Deontay Wilder lost the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title after holding it since 2015.

May 17, 2021: Arbitration Judge Rules in Favor of Wilder

On May 17, 2021, arbitration judge Daniel Weinstein ruled that Tyson Fury will have to honor a contractual clause which calls for a third fight with Wilder.

July 24, 2021: Potential Trilogy Fight

On July 24, 2021, the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas had been reserved for Wilder's trilogy fight with Fury.

August 2022: Wilder to Have First Fight After Fury Loss

In August 2022, it was announced that Wilder will have his first fight a year later after his Fury loss.

October 15, 2022: Wilder vs. Helenius Fight

On October 15, 2022, Deontay Wilder fought against Robert Helenius, Wilder knocked out Helenius with a short right hand at 2:57 of the first round.

2022: Wilder's win since 2022

June 27, 2025 marked Wilder's first win since 2022, after dropping Herndon twice before stopping him in the seventh round.

October 2023: Wilder stops Robert Helenius.

In October 2023, Deontay Wilder stopped Robert Helenius in round one, marking his last fight before the bout against Joseph Parker.

November 2023: Riyadh Season announces Wilder to fight Joseph Parker

In November 2023, Riyadh Season announced that Deontay Wilder would face Joseph Parker on December 23, 2023, as part of the Day of Reckoning event. The event aimed to set up a future fight between Wilder and Anthony Joshua. DAZN, TNT Sports Box Office and ESPN+ PPV agreed to broadcast the event on their pay-per-view platform.

December 2023: Wilder scheduled to fight Joseph Parker at Day of Reckoning event.

In December 2023, Deontay Wilder was scheduled to fight Joseph Parker as part of the Day of Reckoning event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

June 1, 2024: Wilder loses to Zhilei Zhang by knockout.

On June 1, 2024, Deontay Wilder faced Zhilei Zhang and lost in the fifth round by knockout.

January 14, 2025: Wilder ring return against Curtis Harper reported.

On January 14, 2025, it was reported that Deontay Wilder would return to the ring against Curtis Harper in Atlanta, Georgia on April 26, live on BLK Prime, but the fight was never officially announced.

June 27, 2025: Wilder defeats Tyrrell Anthony Herndon.

On June 27, 2025, Deontay Wilder fought Tyrrell Anthony Herndon at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas, in a 10-round bout billed as "Legacy Reloaded". Wilder won by stopping Herndon in the seventh round, marking his first win since 2022.