‘He got grits in his gloves’: Deontay Wilder names the hardest puncher he faced (and it’s not Tyson Fury)

Deontay Wilder, despite four defeats in his last six fights, has been linked with a 2026 fight against Oleksandr Usyk. Wilder’s legacy will undoubtedly be his extraordinary punching power. He was behind in some fights, but found a way to win with that dynamite right hand. In a recent interview with Vegas Insider, The Bronze Bomber revealed the hardest puncher he’s ever faced.

Deontay Wilder recalls punching power of Johann Duhaupas

Wilder has stopped 43 fighters in his 44 wins. It’s an unbelievable record, but it hasn’t always been plain sailing for the Alabama native, who has been behind in fights and struggled against certain opponents. Looking back on the hardest puncher he’s ever faced, many would expect Wilder to name Fury, but The Bronze Bomber named a surprising opponent as the biggest puncher:

“Like I said, I’m an energy person now. It may change throughout the years, but right now, when I think about the hardest.

“I can remember that the feeling in the ring was Johann Duhaupas, the Frenchman.

“Like every time he hit me with his jab and shit, I kept in my head. I was like, God damn. He hit hard.

“Damn. He got grits in his gloves.

“I kept saying, I can’t keep taking these jabs, you know?

“He was the only fighter that made me just really just think like that.

“Like if I got hit, like, dang, that hurt.

“That’s only what I could remember. So I always give him that gratitude, you know, and that acknowledgement.

“So, salute. Salute, bro. I still think about you.

“He hit me so hard, I still think about him!”

Deontay Wilder in 2026 and beyond

What’s left for Deontay Wilder? His taxing trilogy against Tyson Fury appeared to take a lot out of both fighters. After more than 14 months out of the ring, Wilder returned to big-time boxing, losing to Joseph Parker, and then suffering a defeat against Zhilei Zhang. The Bronze Bomber returned this year, stopping Tyrrell Herndon.

In the win against Herndon, Wilder (44-4-1, 43 KOs) was relatively in control, using his jab effectively, with Herndon only having limited success. Wilder scored a knockdown in round two, despite Herndon protesting that it was a slip. As the rounds progressed, Herndon began to fatigue, with Wilder landing some big shots. This pressure from The Bronze Bomber led to a second knockdown.

In the seventh round, Wilder landed two right hands, which prompted the referee to jump in to wave the fight off. The use of the jab by Wilder was undoubtedly positive, but his timing was off. That is not unexpected given his inactivity in recent years. Is Wilder ready for a showdown with Usyk? Absolutely not! If Wilder is to make any further impact in the heavyweight division, we need to see him in a winnable fight against someone who will pose him questions. That’s when we will see if Deontay Wilder has the answers.