It’s official: ahead of tomorrow night’s PPV.com must-win fight with Tyrrell Herndon, Deontay Wilder and Malik Scott have parted ways. Wilder, who was trained by Scott for a number of years, for a number of his big fights, released a statement explaining that the split was amicable and that the two are “still brothers.”
“We’re brothers, and always will be brothers. We talk all the time and there’s nothing bad between us,” Wilder said. “Sometimes things change and this was one of those times.”
Meanwhile, Scott also issued a short statement in which he made it clear he and Wilder will always be friends.
Will the Scott split shake up Wilder’s Wichita return?
“I wanted the best for Deontay,” Scott said. “He did things to electrify the sport and sometimes needs to be invigorated. He called me and let me know we were doing things different in the corner for this fight. We thanked each other for all we did for each other. He’s in good hands and I know he’s in good hands.”
Whether or not the split with Scott will have any affect on Wilder’s overall performance in the fight with Herndon remains to be seen but this is a question some people began to ask when news first broke regarding how Wilder and Scott may have split.
Can Wilder rebuild without his longtime corner?
It will of course be interesting to see who Wilder brings in as his new, full time head coach moving forward.
For now, Wilder has to remain fully focused and get that win, preferably an impressive KO win, over Herndon tomorrow night in Wichita, Kansas.
Wilder has said he plans to have a year of “tune-up fights” before going back into the “big leagues next year.” Now, he will have to do it without Malik Scott at his side and in his corner.