TIG Post

Tag: Deontay Wilder

  • Deontay Wilder wants to fight Anthony Joshua in Africa

    Deontay Wilder believes a bout with Anthony Joshua is still “the number one fight in the world” as he prepares to make his return to action on Saturday.

    Wilder, 36, last fought a year ago and faces Robert Helenius in New York on his comeback.

    The heavyweight’s goal is to become world champion again, but Wilder also has big plans for a bout against Britain’s Joshua.

    “I would love to do that fight in Africa,” he told BBC Sport.

    “It’s still the number one fight in the world for everyone. Everywhere I go, people always talk about me versus Joshua.”

    There have been several classic heavyweight encounters in Africa, including Muhammad Ali’s fight with George Foreman in Kinshasa in 1974.

    “We both have roots from there,” Wilder explained.

    “I think it would be an amazing place to have it, to go back home. To go back to the motherland. A continent full of our people. I can just see that being an amazing fight, win, lose or draw.

    “I think we’ll get the respect and love from all the people over there.”

    Joshua too ‘cautious’ – Wilder

    Wilder seriously considered retirement after suffering successive stoppage defeats to Tyson Fury, but now says he plans to fight for another three years.

    Joshua and Wilder were previously in talks about an undisputed fight in 2019 and 2020 when both men were still world champions.

    Wilder held the WBC title while Joshua was the WBA (Super), WBO and IBF champion.

    Joshua recently failed to reach terms with WBC champion Fury, but Wilder is confident a deal could be struck.

    He said: “We’re serious and we just need them to be serious as well. We tried to make the fight and it didn’t happen. It’s a new day and time. All things are possible.”

    Joshua, the two-time world champion, will also soon be on the comeback trail after suffering successive defeats to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk.

    Wilder believes the fights with Usyk, particularly the rematch in August, showed Joshua has a “stamina” problem.

    “I just felt he was very cautious,” Wilder said of the Watford-born fighter.

    “For me it looks like he has a real serious stamina problem. I feel like he didn’t want to exchange a lot because of that.

    “It allowed him to fall back a little bit and not allow him to throw certain punches and combinations. I think if he fixed that you would see a better Joshua, not just in that fight but fights to come.

    “I know if he’s able to get everything together, stamina and all that, I think you’ll see a different Anthony Joshua.”

    Source: BBC

  • My costume cost me Fury win – Wilder

    Deontay Wilder has blamed the extravagant costume he wore during his ring-walk for his defeat to Tyson Fury in the early hours of Sunday morning.

    The previously undefeated American entered the ring in Las Vegas wearing a 40-pound outfit designed to celebrate Black History Month.

    He went on to be stopped in the seventh round by Fury after assistant trainer Mark Breland threw in the towel.

    Wilder was knocked down by a right hand from Fury in the third round and again by a body shot in the fifth.

    The 34-year-old also fell another two times and appeared to struggle with his balance.

    Speaking to Yahoo Sports in the aftermath of losing his WBC title, Wilder said: “He didn’t hurt me at all, but the simple fact is that my uniform was way too heavy for me.

    “I didn’t have no legs from the beginning of the fight. In the third round, my legs were just shot all the way through.

    “A lot of people were telling me, ‘It looked like something was wrong with you.’ Something was, but when you’re in the ring, you have to bluff a lot of things.

    “I tried my best to do so. I knew I didn’t have the legs because of my uniform. I was only able to put it on (for the first time) the night before but I didn’t think it was going to be that heavy.

    “It weighed 40, 40-some pounds with the helmet and all the batteries. I wanted my tribute to be great for Black History Month. I wanted it to be good and I guess I put that before anything.”

    Source: skysports.com

  • Wilder v Fury II: Tyson Fury will be worried by first-fight knockdowns, says Deontay Wilder

    Deontay Wilder believes Tyson Fury is scared and will be having sleepless nights before their world heavyweight title rematch later this month.

    The pair fight in Las Vegas on 22 February for Wilder’s WBC championship.

    Their bout in December 2018 ended in a controversial draw with the American knocking Fury down twice, although the Englishman also thought he had won.

    “When you get knocked down by someone, you never forget it or how they did it,” said 34-year-old Wilder.

    Speaking on a media conference call from the United States on Tuesday, he added: “Deep down I feel he’s nervous, very nervous from what happened the first time.

    “When you go in there for a second time it has to be stressful and you definitely can’t sleep at night.

    “He’s worried and I don’t think his confidence is that high because of the state I left him in before.

    “I gave this man concussion and it will happen again because the head is not meant to be hit, especially by the power of Deontay Wilder, so he has a lot to think about.”

    Both men are unbeaten with their draw in Los Angeles 14 months ago being the only time they have not won a professional fight.

    Fury, 31, last fought against Sweden’s Otto Wallin and, despite sustaining a bad cut close to his eye early on, won via a unanimous points decision.

    However, since then Fury has changed trainers, moving from Ben Davison to Javan ‘Sugar’ Hill Steward, the nephew of the late Emmanuel Steward, who trained Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko.

    “Fury can say he beat me by a wide margin but he doesn’t believe that – that’s why he wants to change so many things,” added Wilder. “If he believed he won he wouldn’t have changed much – the next thing he is going to do is go to a spiritual advisor.

    “Wallin had a game plan and executed it. That fight should’ve been stopped with a cut so deep and I look forward to re-cutting that eye.

    “Once it’s open again and the blood is in his face I’m coming in for the kill. I don’t play around.

    “I knocked him out the first time but I didn’t get it and I’m going to knock him out again.”

    Wilder not worried about ‘coward’ Joshua

    Wilder won the WBC heavyweight championship in January 2015 and has successfully defended the belt on 10 occasions – the same number of defences as legendary heavyweight Muhammad Ali managed between 1974 and 1978.

    The other major heavyweight titles – the IBF, WBA and WBO – are held by Britain’s Anthony Joshua after he regained the belts in December by winning a rematch against Mexican-American Andy Ruiz, a fighter he lost to six months earlier.

    But Wilder, who has 42 wins and one draw as a professional and never fought Joshua, said: “I’m not worried about that coward, he barely got his titles back, never mind trying to step in the ring with the king.

    “He never wanted to fight me. He has been out of the picture and no-one is talking about him anymore.

    “The heavyweight division is on fire and it’s my job to keep it that way. It’s a tie-break with Muhammad Ali and I’m looking forward to setting some history on February 22nd.

    “Fury has pillow-esque fists. After the first fight I didn’t feel sore. I took all of his punches. He’s just a big man who can move around the ring, his power is not there.

    “The Gypsy King is going to be floored and he’s definitely not getting up.”

    Source: bbc.com

  • I’m the hardest-hitting puncher in boxing history – Deontay Wilder

    Deontay Wilder has described himself as the “hardest hitter in boxing” after his seventh-round knockout of Luis Ortiz in Las Vegas on Saturday.

    The Cuban had dominated the first six rounds, but was knocked to the floor by a stunning right hand from Wilder, 34.

    He retained the WBC world heavyweight title with his 42nd win from 43 fights, 41 of those by knockout.

    “I think I earned my respect to say I’m the hardest-hitting puncher in boxing history. Period,” said the American.

    “I do what I do time and time again. I give people great fights and great knockouts.”

    Read:Wilder knocks out Luis Ortiz to defend WBC world title

    Wilder has produced 10 successful defences of his WBC belt, which he has held since January 2015.

    The only fight he has not won in his career was the draw with Tyson Fury in Los Angeles in December 2018. Even then, he still put Fury on the canvas in the ninth and the final round.

    But the Alabama boxer feels his achievements deserve more recognition.

    “You’ve got to give me my credit,” he said. “It’s sad that it took me over 40 fights to get the recognition that I truly deserve.

    Read:Anthony Joshua: Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury fight would not be held up

    “When people see me, they have never seen my style. It took them a while to get used to what I display, my talent that I present to boxing.

    “It’s different to any other fighter. It’s not textbook. You can’t really teach it and that’s what makes me unique from the rest of these fighters.”

    A rematch with Fury is slated for 22 February and the Briton’s trainer Ben Davison was ringside in Las Vegas on Saturday to see Wilder’s win.

    Responding to Wilder’s victory, Fury tweeted: “Wilder has nothing more than a punchers chance vs me, I’m gonna school [him] even more than the first fight.”

    Source: bbc.com

  • Wilder knocks out Luis Ortiz to defend WBC world title

    Deontay Wilder defended his WBC world heavyweight title for the 10th time with a stunning knockout after being out-boxed by Luis Ortiz for six rounds.

    The American looked set to see his world-title reign end just short of five years as Ruiz picked him apart for half of their Las Vegas rematch.

    But in the seventh round, Wilder’s devastating right hand left Ortiz stunned and beaten on the canvas.

    Read:Wilder v Fury: Stunning draw in WBC world heavyweight title fight

    “I found my measurement, seen the shot and took it,” said Wilder, 34.

    Ortiz, 40, made it to his feet but could not beat the 10 count and was left with a look of shock on his face as Wilder had barely thrown a combination or landed a punch of significance.

    The defeated Cuban was left beating the ropes with his fists in frustration after bamboozling Wilder with feints and footwork, while boxing at the kind of timid pace he looked capable of maintaining.

    Read:Anthony Joshua: Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury fight would not be held up

    He found repeated joy from his tricky southpaw stance with the left hand and after landing repeatedly on Wilder in the fourth, the champion beat his chest with both hands as he clearly knew he was second best.

    But Wilder has built a reputation as one of the most destructive punchers in boxing history and his straight right hand chalked up a 41st knockout from 43 outings.

    In doing so he moved level with Muhammad Ali in recording 10 straight title defences. Only Tommy Burns (11), Vitali Klitschko (11), Wladimir Klitschko (18), Larry Holmes (20) and Joe Louis (25) have managed to defend the heavyweight crown more times in a row.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Deontay Wilder: WBC champion will fight Luis Ortiz in November

    WBC champion Deontay Wilder will defend his heavyweight title against Luis Ortiz in Las Vegas on 23 November, promoters announced on Saturday.

    The rematch follows Wilder’s knockout win over the Cuban in New York in 2018.

    American Wilder, 33, boasts a career record of 41 wins and one draw, and has held the WBC title since 2015.

    Read:Anthony Joshua: Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury fight would not be held up

    After beating Ortiz, he fought to a draw with Tyson Fury last December, before knocking out compatriot Dominic Breazeale in May.

    Speaking to BBC Sport in August, Wilder said he would follow his bout with Ortiz by facing Fury again early on in 2020.

    Read:Wilder v Fury: Stunning draw in WBC world heavyweight title fight

    “Ortiz is definitely happening,” he said at the time. “I am looking forward to fighting him. After I knock him out I will go to Fury, knock him out and then we will go for a unification.”

    American-born Andy Ruiz, who fights under the Mexican flag, currently holds the division’s IBF, WBO and WBA titles after a sensational stoppage of Britain’s Anthony Joshua in June.

    Source: bbc.com