TRAINER KNOWS ALL ABOUT KILLER INSTINCT
JAY DEAS was once a TV crime reporter chasing stories, including the tale of a murderous mayor who ran off with his stepdaughter.
But for the past 13 years he’s been the man behind Deontay Wilder rather than the man behind the mic.
Deas has taken the American from a 21-year-old novice Olympic medallist to WBC heavyweight champion.
Wilder defends his belt against Tyson Fury in LA on Saturday.
“He was a tall guy, he was athletic and said he wanted to box, but everyone says that,” said Deas, recalling the day Wilder first walked into the Skyy Boxing Gym in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
“Most of them don’t last a month. His ability didn’t resonate until I started working with him and I saw how much he was taking in, how much he wanted it. Then I thought, ‘We may have something here’.”
Deas and his brother Tommy were brought up on boxing and his sibling went on to report on it for national publications.
Deas also became a journalist in Panama City Beach, Florida.
It was there he reported on the tale of a small-town mayor who left his wife for his stepdaughter, before shooting the latter and returning to his missus.
“I have some crazy stories, but that’s just one,” said Deas, who is Wilder’s trainer and co-manager. The crazy ride in boxing started when his brother decided to open Skyy. Deas took over as head coach when his brother was promoted to sports editor at the local paper in 2005.
“We had been everywhere with fighters in the 10 years before Deontay walked into the gym,” said Deas. “It was great timing because if Deontay had come five years before, I don’t know if we would have known what to do with him.
“With 10 years under our belts, we knew who were the good guys, who were the bad guys.” Wilder’s unique style doesn’t look like something taught in the gym. “He was always awkward,” added Deas. “He can throw punches from different angles.
“People were struggling to defend against him. We still taught traditional boxing techniques, but we didn’t curb his tendency to throw punches from different angles.” Wilder, 33, only walked into the gym in 2005 but three years later he won bronze at the Beijing Games. He lifted the WBC title in his 33rd professional fight and has made seven defences since, remaining unbeaten with 39 of his 40 victims getting knocked out.
But Wilder has struggled for recognition even in the States, although if he hands Fury his first defeat, then the calls for a unification clash with Anthony Joshua will grow. Deas said: “The Fury fight will kick the door down in terms of everybody knowing who he is.”