Wilder's Coach Explains Why Deontay Lost to Parker

Malik Scott, the coach of former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs), has broken the silence nearly four months after his athlete's loss to WBO "interim" champion Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs), revealing the reasons behind Deontay's defeat.

"I think Deontay has a killer instinct that can't be suppressed, but I believe he was enjoying ayahuasca. He mentioned it made him somewhat satisfied, making him appreciate the smaller and softer things in life. That night, violence wasn’t the priority, and I believe that's why we lost. Deontay is a ferocious killer who just didn’t show up in the ring that night. But that's not the fighter you're going to see in his next fight," said Scott.

Wilder and Parker clashed in December 2023 in Saudi Arabia. Deontay was on the brink of a knockout and, according to CompuBox statistics, hardly landed any punches on his opponent. Consequently, Joseph won by a judges' decision.

Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic brew made from an Amazonian vine.