Deontay Wilder said that his eldest daughter’s struggle with spina bifida motivated him to pursue boxing. What started as a way to pay for medical bills turned into a career that made him one of the most recognized heavyweight champions of his time.
Wilder shared his story before his fight with Derek Chisora at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday. He explained that he got into the sport after he became a father, changing his original plans to focus on other sports.
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A Late Start Driven by Family
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Wilder, 40, told Boxing Scene that he never intended to become a boxer. According to SportBible’s report of the interview, he played several sports and hoped to pursue a path to university before his situation changed. The birth of his daughter Naieya, who was born with spina bifida, forced him to rethink his future and find a way to make money.
“What got me into boxing is when I realized that I couldn’t go to university anymore to pursue a career in professional sport,” Wilder said. “I had to rely on the school of hard knocks, you know, that’s whooping people’s behinds. I knew that, as a fighter, I could be a professional and earn money for my daughter.”
SportBible, citing the NHS, explained that spina bifida occurs when a baby’s spine and spinal cord do not completely develop in the womb. This can affect walking, continence, bone development, and feeling in the limbs. Wilder recounted a conversation with a friend while he was in college that led him to try boxing. This decision brought him to a local gym where he met trainer Jay Deas, who later became his co-manager.
Wilder said his goal was clear from the start. “My only plan coming into boxing was to risk my life to save a life, for a girl who was born with spina bifida,” he said. He added that he promised his daughter as a baby that he would become a champion and support her. “I’ve overachieved that promise.”
Promise Made, Promise Kept
Wilder’s rise in boxing was rapid. SportBible noted that he won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and then captured the WBC heavyweight title by defeating Bermane Stiverne in January 2015. He successfully defended the title 10 times before losing it to Tyson Fury in 2020.
An earlier ESPN interview from 2017 showed how closely Wilder linked his career to his daughter’s condition. He mentioned that Naieya underwent multiple surgeries as a baby and continues to live with the effects of spina bifida, but he described her as “a very strong young lady.” He also said his children motivated him to keep stepping into the ring. “That is why I risk my life each and every time in the ring, to get that much closer to securing their lives forever,” Wilder told ESPN.
The former champion’s recent record has been inconsistent. After losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, Wilder returned to winning with a victory over Tyrrell Anthony Herndon in June 2025, according to SportBible. However, the story he shared this week focused less on titles and rankings and more on the reason he started boxing in the first place.
For Wilder, boxing was never just about the belt. According to him, it began with a promise to his daughter, and much of his career stemmed from that moment.