Wilder: I want to fight the best – that means Joshua
Confident American is looking ahead to clash with Briton – once he has taken care of tonight
Aweek after Anthony Joshua retained his heavyweight titles against Carlos Takam in Cardiff, the Briton’s staunchest rival, Deontay Wilder, defends the World Boxing Council crown here at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn tonight.
The American is fighting Haitian Bermane Stiverne in a rematch of their January 2015 battle, but the unbeaten Alabaman directed as much, if not more, verbal traffic at the man from Watford in this week’s lead-up.
Indeed, both Wilder and Joshua have insisted they must meet this summer. “As soon as Anthony Joshua accepts the fight, then I’ll be there,” said Wilder, who claims that promoter Eddie Hearn has been delaying a unification contest for Joshua, the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation champion, to glean more experience. “They’re trying to distract people because they know that I’m a danger to anybody’s career. All their excuses have nothing to do with the sport of boxing. The only thing people care about is the best fighting the best, and that’s what I’m trying to do,” said Wilder.
Tonight’s WBC mandatory challenge comes from the man from whom he won the world title in arguably one of the best performances of his career. Since then, Wilder, with 37 knockouts from 38 career victories, has defended the crown five times.
“I’ve called out every name in the sport. All the top guys have ducked me, so I just have to take care of the people that are able to get in the ring,” said Wilder, who has had three fights cancelled in the past 18 months after his opponents returned positive drugs tests. For all the American’s testiness, Joshua claims he has plans to fight Wilder next summer. “Boxing needs it and so do I, 100 per cent,” said the British fighter after the triumph over Takam, though a ruling by the WBC this week that the fight between Dominic Breazeale and Eric Molina on the undercard of Wilder-stiverne will serve as a final eliminator for the chance to face Wilder will delay plans for a Wilder-joshua fight by four to six months. Irritating, really, as Joshua has beaten both men, and Wilder has defended his crown against Molina.
In spite of the announcement this week by the WBC, Wilder is still gunning for a fight with Joshua next year – and at the earliest opportunity. “I declare war. I am declaring war upon AJ. I will not chase him,” said Wilder. “We are going to lure you in, you can only run for so long and so far. Eddie Hearn can say what he wants. Let me help you. You want me to fight Dillian Whyte and I want Joshua. Put them in a package and let me fight. I will knock out Whyte easy. I could do it with one hand tied behind my back.
“The ultimate goal is to get Joshua. We’re not just going to be sitting up here and doing this and doing that. Joshua says he needs more time; he ain’t ready.
“He wants to put himself in a better position. But you already fought a guy [Wladimir Klitschko] that got way more experience than I do. I don’t understand this sport when it comes to me. It feels like I’m better off not being in this sport than being in it. I don’t understand it.”
Wilder certainly thrives on pressure. “I just want to prove to the world that I am the best. That’s all I want to do,” he said. “I don’t care about who’s the A-side, who’s the B-side, where the fight’s going to be. And you know what? You all can put this at the top of the headlines. If the best don’t want to fight so, what’s the point of me being in this sport? If Bermane beats me, you all don’t have to hear about me no more. I’m done.”
It is going to be an interesting night. For me, Wilder will claim a late stoppage victory and march on to Wembley for a summer showdown with Joshua.