Home Boxing News Deontay Wilder left “twitching” after Wladimir Klitschko knockout

Deontay Wilder left “twitching” after Wladimir Klitschko knockout

Deontay Wilder and Wladimir Klitschko.

WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder was “knocked out cold” by Wladimir Klitschko in sparring, according to top contender Dillian Whyte.

The 31-year-old Londoner said the ‘Bronze Bomber’ tried to “rough up” the Ukrainian world champion in the gym some years ago but came off second best.

Whyte, who has been the number one contender for Wilder’s WBC belt for almost two years but is expected to have to wait until early 2021 to get a shot at the title, says Wilder was left on the canvas “twitching” after Klitschko knocked him out.

“I’ve seen [Wilder] getting knocked out,” Whyte told Sky Sports. “Wladimir knocked him out.

“He knew what happened. He had his hands up. He was roughing Wlad up, bringing the smoke, and he was going wild.

“Wlad backs up, changes his footwork, feinting, feinting, jabs to the body, throws that feint jab, left hook. Wilder had his hands up, he was gone.

“It wasn’t no knockdown, he was knocked cold. Properly twitching as well.

“That’s why they probably didn’t want him to fight Wlad because Wlad was going to fight him as a pro and Wilder never fancied it the whole time.”

Whyte also spoke of meeting up with old rival Anthony Joshua at Klitschko’s training camp. Joshua is the only boxer to hold a win over Whyte in the pro ranks, a seventh-round stoppage for the British title in 2015.

“I wanted to punch Joshua up, at first, because he was talking a lot of smack,” said Whyte.

“There was genuine annoyance there. Bashir [Ali] and a couple of guys stopped me getting at him and then it sort of got squashed. It was a bit edgy.

“[Klitschko] was friendly with the likes of Joshua.

“They are very similar in their mindset and their behaviour.

“You know me, I was just a bit of a street thug then. I was just thinking, I’m not getting knocked out.”