The only reason Deontay Wilder took up boxing was for daughter with life-threatening spina bifida

HE'S the hulking 6ft 7in boxing beast who said he wanted to kill an opponent earlier this year.

But behind the 220lb of solid muscle and trash talk lies the heartbreaking reason why Deontay Wilder first took up boxing.

As the proud father-of-five gears up for an historical fight against Tyson Fury this weekend, he reveals how being told that his daughter would be born disabled took him down a very different path.

Speaking to Sun Online, 33-year-old Wilder explains how his eldest daughter Naieya, now 13, was the driving force behind his phenomenal success and in turn, his estimated £12.3million fortune.

Before she was born in March 2005, Naieya was diagnosed with spina bifida — a condition affecting the baby's spine.

Wilder and his now-ex wife Jessica Scales-Wilder were told she may never be able to walk.

But rather than let the news destroy him, Wilder actually channelled it into motivation to kick-start his fighting career.

'I promised her that daddy would be a world champion'

Wilder had been a budding high school football and basketball star — but when he discovered he was going to become a father at the age of 19 his career as a college sportsman was over.

He worked three jobs at IHOP, Red Lobster and driving a beer truck to make ends meet.

It was only when the couple were told their daughter might have spina bifida — and with exorbitant medical bills looming — that Wilder decided to get in the ring.

"I was just a guy in college, was on the basketball team," he tells Sun Online.

"I’d do it — in terms of getting into boxing — all over if I had to for my daughter. She’s the one that got me into boxing."

Wilder adds: "I was willing to do whatever it took to take care of my child.

"I promised her that daddy will be a world champion one day and I’ll be able to support her.

"I made sure I could deliver that promise. She inspired me to change my profession."

Told she couldn't walk — now she does cartwheels

Wilder isn’t the only one who has defied expectations to become a champion — he regularly praises his "amazing" daughter for constantly proving doctors wrong.

Despite her diagnosis, Naieya is now able to walk and even cartwheel as a result of five surgeries she underwent when she was a baby.

She's also fiercely independent, and Wilder has previously said how even as a little girl, she didn't want anyone else to put on her clothes for her.

"As a father, it made me proud. She's definitely like me, she gets everything from me: the strength, the mindset, the ability to not give up," he said previously.

"She came from a long place, she came very far from what doctors said she would maybe never be able to do — like walk."

He told No Filter Boxing: "But she’s amazing, I’m so proud of my daughter.

"It allows me to continue to be strong in boxing – it’s like we feed off each other’s strengths.

"She’s very smart, she’s running around."

The Bomber's motivation

Unbeaten Wilder — who welcomed his fifth child, a baby daughter, in June this year with glamorous fiancee Telli Swift - has won by knock out in 39 of his 40 fights.

But with a scrap against giant-killer Tyson Fury around the corner, bookies' favourite Wilder will need to be on top of his game to keep his perfect win record in tact.

Thankfully, the Bronze Bomber — a nickname earned when Wilder took a third place medal home from the 2008 Beijing Olympics after just 20 amateur fights — has been training hard, and his motivation, stems from his children.

"My [eldest] daughter inspires me to come to the gym," he says. "I do this not only for my daughter, but for all my children.

"It’s such a great motivation and a blessing to have those little ones in my life. They’re so intelligent and amazing. I just love them."

'I want a body on my record'

Listening to Wilder praising his kids in full proud-dad mode, it's almost possible to forget just how dangerous a fighter he is.

But don't expect to see any of Wilder's emotive side during Sunday's bout — which will air live from the 21,000 capacity Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Wilder was full of fighting talk in the run-up to the clash, and now he's told Sun Online that he's ready to back it up with actions.

"I’ve made my name around the world knocking people out," he says.

"That’s what I do, that’s what I’m known for. And that’s what I’m good at.
"When the crowd see us enter that ring I plan on knocking him out. The crowds love that."

But not everyone is enamoured with his pre-match spiel. Earlier this year Tony Bellew labelled the hardman “a disgrace” for some of the comments he made.

Wilder boldly declared: "I want a body on my record, I want one.

"I always tell people, when I'm in the ring, I am the Bronze Bomber. With him, it's so crazy.

"When I'm in the Bronze Bomber, I don't really care.

"Everything about me changes. I don't get nervous, I don't get scared, I don't get butterflies, I don't have no feeling towards the man I'm fit to fight."

Heavyweight to preacher

While he’s earned millions from boxing, Wilder isn’t against a change of job one day.

And although it sounds like an odd career path after spending most of his life beating people up, Wilder harbours a secret desire to follow in his father’s footsteps — and become a preacher.

He told us: "If it’s meant for me to preach then I’ll definitely do it.

"I come from a church background my father was a Minister, so all this religion has been around me all my life. So if I do get the opportunity I’ll pursue it.

"I’m a great motivator and I inspire people. I believe if you work hard you can do anything.

"A lot of people follow me and listen to me.

"They look up to me. They follow every word I say.

"So, definitely I want to use this power for the greater good and lead people in the right direction."