Old footage of a confrontation between Tony Bellew and Deontay Wilder resurfaced this week, as the pair went back at forth at the weigh in for Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko in 2017.
Wilder, who commentated on the historic heavyweight fight at Wembley, goaded Bellew – with whom he was being linked to for a fight – as the former cruiserweight world champion was being interviewed by IFL TV.
“You know what separates me from all the other heavyweights? How I knock a motherf***er out! Not only have I broke sockets and broke bones – I’ve made them seize up on the ground.”
Bellew, however, was fresh off his first of two stoppage victories over David Haye, and was in no mood to be bullied by the then WBC world champion, and actually claimed Haye possessed more power than Wilder.
“I’ve already dealt with somebody more powerful than you! You’re just a man with two arms and two legs, and my boxing brain is far better than yours.
David’s more powerful than you!”
Ultimately, a fight between the pair never materialised. Bellew would go on to defeat Haye again before losing out in his last ever contest to undisputed cruiserweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk.
As for Deontay Wilder, fans will not need reminded is very much still on the heavyweight landscape. ‘The Bronze Bomber’ returned from a year long lay off in destructive fashion last month, stopping Robert Helenius in just one round in Wilder’s first fight since his knockout defeat to Tyson Fury in their trilogy fight in 2021.
And Wilder may find himself on British shores once again in 2023, after Eddie Hearn this week confirmed positive talks had been held with Wilder’s manager Shelley Finkel about a potential meeting between the two former world champions.