Deontay Wilder tattoos: Wilder reveals reasons behind incredible ink work

The Bronze Bomber faces Tyson Fury tonight in his eighth – and toughest – defence of his strap, which is emblazoned on his thigh.

The intricate ink work took six hours to complete, and it means a lot to Wilder.

“What inspired me to get that one was me accomplishing my goals and dreams,” Wilder revealed in 2015.

“I told my daughter that I would be a world champion when she was a year old, and for me to promise that and fulfill it, it means a lot to me.”

The unbeaten fighter plans to add more tattoos of that ilk to his body, too.

“Once I unify the division, I’m going to tat every belt on me, on my thighs,” he continued.

“That’s another goal I set for myself, to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.”

A win over The Gypsy King would make that more likely than ever, with Anthony Joshua waiting in the wings.

If the 33-year-old is to achieve his goal, he will have to put as many hours into practice as he does in the chair.

“I’ve easily got over a thousand hours on me,” the heavyweight champion continued.

“Everything that I’ve got on me has meaning to it, from my neck down to my feet.

“My body tells its own story with all the art on there.”

Much of the ink on Wilder’s 6ft 7in frame is from scriptures.

“I got a feather pen writing out ‘love’ in cursive, because I feel if you give me love, I’ll show you love in return, whether I’m in a relationship or whether it’s just friendship,” he claims.

“I love reading scriptures, so I’ve got some of my favorites on my body.”

Wilder has four children and they are also commemorated through tattoos.

“They remind me who I’m doing this for,” Wilder added.

“I tell people all the time that they’re my boss, I work for them. I’m trying to build a future for them.”