After months in the boxing wilderness, Deontay Wilder is certainly talking a good fight.
Bolstered by the arbitration ruling that enforced a previously contracted trilogy bout with nemesis Tyson Fury, the self-proclaimed hardest puncher in boxing history believes the heavyweight division’s best will now fall like dominoes.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ hasn’t fought since his seven-round drubbing at the fists of Fury in February 2020, yet feels revitalised after recovering from a bicep injury and linking up with former opponent turned trainer Malik Scott.
But should he upset the odds and defeat previous conqueror and WBC king Fury, Wilder feels rival WBA Super, WBO and IBF champion Anthony Joshua may use his mandatory obligations to avoid a potential unification.
Joshua and Fury were, of course, scheduled to meet for all the belts in August in Saudi Arabia before Wilder successfully won the right to his third meeting with Fury, which will now take place in Las Vegas on July 24. Wilder hopes Joshua’s appetite for a unification remains, should he defeat Fury as he expects.
“My focus is definitely on Fury… once I do that [and win], then you already know what I want. But, from what I’m hearing, [Team Joshua are] already making up their excuses,” Wilder told Premier Boxing Champions’ Ray Flores. “You know we’re going to hear about mandatory [fights] and all that other bullshit.
“But I want them to keep the same energy – they tried to make the Fury fight. [Joshua] said, ‘It ain’t about the man, it’s about the person with the belts,’ right? We’re going to hold their word to that.”