Statue of Tuscaloosa heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder to be unveiled May 25

In a city where champions are enshrined in bronze, one more is being added to the list.

A statue of Tuscaloosa heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder will be unveiled May 25 at its permanent location outside the offices of Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports at 1900 Jack Warner Parkway.

A 2 p.m. public ceremony is planned to commemorate the unveiling of the sculpture created by Tuscaloosa-based artist Caleb O’Connor.

“We are excited to unveil this highly anticipated piece of public art featuring the Bronze Bomber – Tuscaloosa’s world-champion boxer – and created by Caleb O’Connor, who has adopted Tuscaloosa as his home and has created many other beautiful pieces in our city,” said Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox in a news release announcing the ceremony.

Wilder held the World Boxing Championship’s heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020 and, as an amateur, hewon a bronze medal in the heavyweight division at the 2008 Olympics, earning him the nickname “Bronze Bomber.”

O’Connor, who moved to Tuscaloosa in 2009 when he was commissioned to paint the murals on the inside of the Federal Courthouse Building in downtown Tuscaloosa, also created the statue of Minerva that was added to Manderson Landing in 2019 as part of the city’s bicentennial celebration as well as other sculptures on the University of Alabama campus.

The artist began work on Wilder’s statute seven years ago. At the time, it was estimated to cost around $85,000 and was planned to go outside the Downtown YMCA facility.

Those plans have since changed – as has the timeline for its completion, which originally was expected to take six to eight months – and, along the way, O’Connor’s vision was named as a finalist in 2017 for the 19th annual International Portrait Competition and Exhibition by the Portrait Society of America.

O’Connor told The Tuscaloosa News in 2015 that he is in constant search for inspiration as an artist and, as an admirer of the sport of boxing, was drawn to Wilder because of the boxer’s achievements.

Wilder took up boxing as a means to support his daughter, who was born with spina bifida, and worked multiple jobs before his boxing career took off.

“One of the most important things I saw in regards to the sculpture is the idea that Deontay needs to be recognized for what he has done,” O’Connor said at the time. “We haven’t had an American champion in over 10 years. Boxing has lost its popularity in the United States because we haven’t been winning, and finally we have the absolute real deal right here in Tuscaloosa.”

Now, that recognition will be enshrined along the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk.

While the University of Alabama head coaches who have won national championships are on display outside Bryant-Denny Stadium, Wilder's statue is going up near the building dedicated to drawing visitors and tourists alike to Tuscaloosa.

It's fitting, said Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports President and CEO Don Staley, since Wilder helped draw the eyes of the world to the Druid City with his athletic achievements.

“Our organization has long supported Deontay Wilder and his journey to becoming a heavyweight champion,” Staley said. “We’re proud of his accomplishments and are thrilled the visitor center will be home to this incredible statue.

“His championship title has put our community, Deontay’s hometown, on the map and his statue will pay tribute to that.”

Reach Jason Morton at jason.morton@tuscaloosanews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Statue of Tuscaloosa boxer Deontay Wilder to be unveiled May 25