Wilder Hopes to Silence the Critics with Impressive Victory over Stiverne

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    wilder_1707033aBy the time iFL TV had their camera focused on Deontay Wilder for another YouTube installment of boxing news, the big boy from Alabama was looking hyped up as a large group of media representatives encircled him for what must be the hundredth time this week.

    Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) was about three days away from his shot at WBC Heavyweight Champion Bermane Stiverne (24-1, 21 KOs) set to take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 17th when this filming took place and you can see the energy coursing through him as he speaks. He talks of his mindset and his motivation for wanting to win this fight, the latter of which goes beyond the expected rewards of trinkets and glory should he emerge victorious.

    “Coming in as the favorite, whether I’m coming in as an underdog, it really doesn’t matter man. At the end of the day all that matters is who comes out on top at the end of the day. That’s all that matters to me. My purpose is more higher than him you know, this isn’t just about getting a belt. I promised my daughter when she was one year old that her dad would be a champion, and I can’t go home and look her in the face and say Daddy failed. That’s not in me.”

    This brings back images from Showtime’s All Access show that aired last week. The program details behind the scenes events building up to that network’s big fights, giving the viewers personal and contextual information about each fighter and their journey up to this point. The episode dedicated to Stiverne and Wilder revealed how Wilder fathered his daughter while in his late teens and turned to boxing as a means to provide for her. The touching segment told of how she was born with the medical condition spina bifida, which could have prevented her from having full mobility as she grew older, and you could see that ensuring his daughter’s well being is paramount to Wilder’s desire for success.

    Wilder does not have such altruistic feelings towards the champion though.

    “I’m going to destroy him in great fashion. The people will see, I’m coming to do it man.”

    A voice from the crowd then managed to butt in to the obvious annoyance of Wilder and ask him about the quality of his opposition up to this point, a question the challenger has probably heard more than any as he nears the big dance.

    “Well you know I go back and say, hey you can’t please everybody. I can’t, I’m not trying to because you know, there’s always going be a fighter that people like and dislike. After I knock him out people are going to say he was a bum. They’re going to degrade him. That’s a thing about people you just can’t please them all.”

    For anyone looking to denigrate Wilder’s victory over Stiverne should the fight turn out that way, this is indeed the route they will be taking. Stiverne’s resume hasn’t many more recognizable names on it than Wilder’s, with only the two wins over Chris Arreola making it slightly more impressive. At least Wilder is prepared for the criticism if he wins the belt.

    His defiance continued to shine through and the way he spoke hinted at the irritation he suffers from constantly being the source of debate, and the subject of so many discussions.

    “I don’t care what people say, we live in a country where you can express your opinion however you may. If you’re opinion has dollar signs on it then everybody would use their words wisely. Unfortunately it’s free to express your opinion so they say what they may, but I’m living my life, and I’m doing a hell of a good job at it.”