WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (35-0, 34KOs) is looking forward to a big 2016 after having his most successful year as a pro- picking up the WBC strap in January in Las Vegas with a dominant unanimous decision win over Bermane Stiverne. Wilder has since made two successful title defenses and will return to the ring on January 16 at the Barclay’s Center against Artur Szpilka.
However, all the boxing world can talk about is a potential clash with unified heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Wilder has expressed much interest in a unification bout with Fury and recently gave his thoughts on Fury’s shocking dominate unanimous decision win over the long-reigning heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko.
“Like I said before, I thought it was a dancing of the stars episode, it was a boring fight. When they go back and look at the fight, they going to say the same thing,” Wilder told ThaBoxingVoice’s Nestor Gibbs in an interview published on TBV’s Youtube channel.
“When you look for a heavyweight title bout you look for excitement, you looking for somebody to get knocked out. If not get knocked out, they going to bang it out, somebody going to get hurt.
“But at the end of the end of the day, like I said, whether you have an ugly win or a pretty win, a win is a win and we have to congratulate the guy that won and that was Tyson Fury.”
Wilder is no stranger to Tyson Fury, the two champions have been barking at each other over social media for years for a fight. Both have claimed in the past to have turned down fights from each other, but now that both fighters are now World Champions, it has the potential to be the biggest and most significant Heavyweight Championship fight in over a decade.
The question remains, though: just how long are we away from a Wilder vs Fury fight?
“I think the fight is already sold out, just need a time and place and I would be willing to go the UK to do it,” stated Wilder. “UK has some the best fans of the world; we got to give it to them, they support boxing and they support their fighters. The difference between overseas and America you have to be on top for people to gravitate to you and to get on board.”
Wilder and Fury have shown vulnerability in the past so it’s safe to say that a fight between them should be made sooner rather than later. However, a lot has to happen before this fight takes place as Wilder has an assignment at the Barclay’s Center on January 16 and if successful will have to fulfill a mandatory defense of his WBC title against the number 1 ranked contender Alexander Povetkin of Russia.
Tyson Fury, on the other hand, will proceed in a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko sometime in 2016. Despite the lack of action in their bout, the rematch will still do big business whether it lands in the UK or in Germany.
Wilder is just looking forward to a big 2016 and will look to follow the footsteps of Muhammad Ali in traveling the world to defend his title in front of hostile crowds.
“When I hear Heavyweight Champion of the world, not only just fighting where your from and not just defending against guys all over the world, but also traveling to fight as well, too,” said Wilder. “I love to travel and I feel the Olympics prepared me to travel to different places and places I’m not comfortable with. I like a challenge and sometimes I like to be in enemy’s territory.”
