DEONTAY WILDER could fight Dominic Breazeale while he waits for a lucrative showdown with British star Anthony Joshua.
“One of the guys I’ve got history with, and that’s not positive history, and that’s Breazeale. That could be a potential one next while we wait for the so called best heavyweight champion in the world. We have options,” Wilder said.
Wilder was involved with an altercation with Breazeale in a hotel earlier this year after they boxed on the same card in Birmingham, Alabama.
The WBC champion however was unimpressed when he saw Luis Ortiz at his latest fight. Wilder was due to box Ortiz November 4 in Brooklyn, until the Cuban failed a drug test. Ortiz however was ringside to watch Wilder knock out Bermane Stiverne in one round.
“When I saw him at the hotel I almost puked in my mouth. I got so many people throwing the blame at me and it had nothing to do with me. I was going to pay a guy step aside money out of my pocket to fight him. To entertain you guys and prove to myself that I am the best. And what happened?” Wilder reflected.
His main target is IBF and WBA boss Anthony Joshua. But there are complications. The Briton has numerous other options, including WBO titlist Joseph Parker, whose team believe he is in the frame for a possible shot at Joshua in February of next year.
In the UK Joshua can fill a stadium almost regardless of his opponent. Wilder is open to coming to England for the heavyweight unification but adds, “The mecca and the money will always be in America. I’ll travel anywhere.”
Shelly Finkel, Wilder’s manager, noted, “What you do see on TV is more people but not necessarily more dollars. When you go to Vegas, if you want this fight. They can put up more than anywhere.”
Finkel described an approach from Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, around Wilder boxing Dillian Whyte before a prospective Joshua fight that did not progress. “About six weeks ago I got an email from Eddie Hearn and he said if you fight Dillian Whyte, we’ll get you Joshua next. I couldn’t get on the phone quick enough to him,” the manager said. “I’ve been around this game a long time. If someone wants to fight, they fight. Joshua said he wants to fight Deontay next year. Deontay finished his mandatory, you heard what he wants to do. Joshua finished his mandatory, you haven’t heard a word from him. If Joshua wants to fight, Deontay’s ready. If it means the right deal to go to the UK – we’ll fight him on the moon – we’ll go anywhere to fight him, he said it. There’s no silence, there’s no avoiding. It’s up to Joshua and if it’s not, then he has his reasons.”
Wilder declared, “That’s what the world wants to see. I think there’s a lot of fans in the UK want to see it but I think there’s a lot of fans that don’t want to see it because they know what I bring. They know what I’m capable of doing. They’ve got a great thing going on over there. So they want to continue to do what they’re doing as long as they can. It all has to come to an end at some point in time. He can only fight so many people.”
