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Deontay Wilder, preparing for Derek Chisora on April 4, has confirmed that he and Malik Scott remain on good terms despite the former WBC heavyweight beltholder replacing him Don House as his head trainer.
Wilder and Scott, once rivals inside the ring, had worked together for many years with Scott stepping up to be ‘The Bronze Bomber’s” lead coach for the third battle with Tyson Fury in 2021 following Mark Breland’s dismissal after the rematch the year before.
Wilder lost that trilogy bout, then rebounded to flatten Robert Helenius, before losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang left his career in tatters.
“Malik Scott is my brother, and I needed him at that moment in time,” Wilder, 44-4-1 (43 KOs), told TalkSPORT.
“I needed people that I trusted because the people around me started to change, especially my old trainer.
“Malik and I never had a plan in place in terms of how long we would work together, but I think he did an amazing job.”
Scott, who was knocked out in a round by Wilder in 2014, could have done nothing to prevent the heavyweight veteran’s slump in form, Wilder attested.
“I could have had Emanuel Steward in my corner, and the results would have been the same because mentally I wasn’t there anymore,” said the 40-year-old.
“The results that happened when Malik was here were not his fault.
“The way I look at it, we both won. He built me up to where I am now mentally, and I helped him boost his resume as a trainer.”
House, who has worked with the likes of Diego Corrales, Bermane Stiverne and Kevin Kelley, was the boss for Wilder’s comeback victory over Tyrell Herndon last June.
“I needed a change of direction after Malik,” Wilder explained. “Don has had over 28 champions in UFC and boxing.
“He’s usually the head trainer but when he first came on board with me, he had no problem stepping to one side and doing certain things to be part of the team.
“Now, it’s the time for him to step up, and he took the opportunity with both hands.
“Don and I were getting to know each other while Malik was in that spot, so when the transition happened, it was natural.
“I always knew he was a great trainer, but just because you are a great trainer doesn’t mean you are the right fit for a certain type of fighter.
“A trainer and a fighter have to have a bond. So, once we built the relationship, I felt he was ready to take over.”
Wilder and Chisora, 36-13 (23 KOs), will do battle at…
2026-02-11 17:00:00
