Deontay Wilder reveals 'the only way' a fight against Anthony Joshua will be made
It's a bleak start to 2019 for the heavyweight scene
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Your support makes all the difference.Deontay Wilder has explained the only way in which a fight against unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua can be made, after the WBC champion rejected a three-fight deal with streaming platform DAZN.
The heavyweight scene has a number of top talents, with the likes of Tyson Fury, Dillian Whyte on top of Joshua and Wilder – and Oleksandr Usyk’s imminent arrival in the division meaning things have never looked so healthy, but deals with rival broadcasters and platforms means that the fights have never been more difficult to make.
Despite a meeting with streaming giant DAZN which offered Wilder $100 million and a three-fight deal, with two planned against Joshua – the Alabama born fighter and his team decided to stay loyal to Showtime, because they wouldn’t tell him how much Joshua is making in any deal involving both fighters.
Speaking to The Schmo, Wilder reiterated the fact that the fight would only happen on one, simple condition.
“Loyalty is everything, it’s the foundation of success,” Wilder said.
“How can you do negotiations, a deal, if we don’t know what the other party is doing?
“Whatever the fight was worth, let’s say $3, and you give me $1 and he gets the rest of the pot – I’m lowering my standards. That’s not right to me.
“Like I said, and I’ll say it again, the only way this fight is going to happen is if it’s 50/50. I don’t care what it is.
“At this point in time it ain’t even about the belts. I’m the hottest, most talked about fighter in the world right now and I got one belt.
“I got the one belt that means more than all the other belts. That’s that green WBC belt. The most precious and beautiful belt in boxing. Every great fighter has had this belt. If they want to correct, it’s going to be right down the line.”
Wilder instead faces mandatory challenger Breazeale on May 18, a man Joshua dismantled in his 17th fight and in speaking about the upcoming bout, reiterated the fact that when he gets in the ring, he has intentions to ‘take’ his opponents life.
“Me and Dominic Breazeale have bad blood for each other.
“So that’s what’s going to make the fight so intense, and that’s what’s going to make the fight so exciting, because of the real bad blood we have for each other.
“Everyone knows when Deontay Wilder gets in the ring, I have bad intentions for my fighters, even to the point of taking their lives. That’s just the way I work as the ‘Bronze Bomber.’
“Dominic Breazeale, you better be ready, baby. You better be getting close with your family every night, because I’m coming. They asking if I’m still knocking motherf****** out; to this day!”
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