Tag Archives: Heavyweight

Posted on 03/08/2020

By: Rich Lopez

Premier Boxing Champions returned back to FOX with three fights in the heavyweight division. The card was staged at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. A huge Polish crowd was on hand hoping for another great performance from their countrymen Adam Kownacki. However, his challenger Robert Helenius did not follow the script. 

In the main event, Robert “The Nordic Nightmare” Helenius(30-3, 19 KO’s) shocked the world and scored a TKO overAdam “Babyface” Kownacki (20-1, 15 KO’s) in the fourth round. This fight was a WBA World Heavyweight Title Eliminator. In the opening round, Helenius started to use his jab in long range but Kownacki wasted no time coming forward. Kownacki got close to Helenius and landed body shots. In round two, the action picked up. Kownacki came forward and was able to land a right hand on the chin of Helenius. Helenius then backed up Kownacki with two right hands on the chin. Kownacki then finished the round coming forward and both men traded shots.

In round three, Kownacki worked the body of Helenius. He backed up Helenius on the ropes and landed punches to his body and head. Once again, Helenius fired back with right hands that landed on the head of Kownacki. In round four, as Kownacki came forward, both fighters traded punches. In an exchange, Helenius landed a right hand on the chin of Kownacki that dropped him. However, the ref did not rule it a knockdown. Once Kownacki got up, Helenius landed a right hand that dropped Kownacki. Once Kownacki got up, Heleniuswent for the finish. He landed a barrage of punches on Kownacki that prompted the referee to stop the fight. The shocking ending came at 1:08 of the fourth round. 

This was another shake up in the heavyweight division. Kownacki was expected to win this fight for a chance at a title shot or land a bigger fight. However, anything can happen in the heavyweight division when you have big punchers hitting each other. For Helenius, he just resurrected his career and is once again a top world heavyweight. Now, he will be lined up for a world title shot. Quite a comeback story for Helenius. Good action fight from both men that ended in a stunner.

In the co-feature, Efe Ajagba (13-0, 11 KO’s) scored a ninth round TKO over Razvan Cojanu (17-7, 9 KO’s). Ajagba stalked Cojanu in the first round. He focused on landing his left jab and his right hand to the head of Cojanu. In the second round, Cojanu came out and put the pressure on Ajagba. Cojanu landed a few hooks to the body of Ajagba. Both fighters stayed close to each other and worked well in the inside in round three. Ajagbalanded good left hooks to the body of Cojanu. Both fighters were busy in round four. Ajagba landed a few overhand rights on the head of Cojanu. Cojanu started to come forward in round five and he worked the body of Ajagba. Ajagba returned the favor and landed his own body shots. Things heated up in round six. Ajagba landed a series of right and left hooks to the head of Cojanu. Cojanu did some good body work on Ajagba. In round seven, Ajagba concentrated on the body of Cojanu and had success. In round eight, a right hand by Ajagba landed on the head of Cojanu. Cojanu went down on his knee and he got up on the count of nine. Ajagba went forward and landed a right hand followed by a left hook to finish the round. In round nine, a battered Cojanu made a final stand and traded with Ajagba. Ajagba threw all power shots to the head of Cojanu and Cojanuwent down on his knee again. The referee saw enough and waived off the fight. The time of the stoppage was 2:46 of round nine. 

Ajagba scored another stoppage and against his toughest opponent up to date. It was an impressive performance from Ajagba. Not only did he display his power again but we saw a different wrinkle in his game. Ajagba boxed well throughout the fight. He used his jab well and kept a high guard. He also mixed his attack with body shots that eventually broke down Cojanu. 

In the opening bout of the telecast, Frank “The Cuban Flash” Sanchez (15-0, 11 KO’s) dominated Joey “Tank” Dawejko (20-8-4, 11 KO’s) to earn a ten round unanimous decision. The opening round was a feel out round. Both guys started using their jabs. Sanchez out landed Dawejko on jabs in the round. In round two, Sanchez continued to stay busy with his jab while Dawejko relied only on his defense. Sanchez landed a few straight right hands to the body and head of Dawejko in round three. Dawejko was still waiting around to land a counter while talking to his opponent. At the end of the round, Sanchez landed a left jab that popped the head of Dawejko. In round four, Dawejko made an adjustment of coming forward, but Sanchez did not let him get in close. Sanchez used his left jab well and showed good side to side movement. Sanchez landed a good right hand on the head of Dawejko in round five. The fighters ended up bumping heads which cut Dawejko’s left eye. In round six, Sanchez continued to move and box while Dawejko was just following Sanchez around. Dawejko was coming forward inround seven but was not effective. In round eight, Dawejkocame forward and tried to get close again. He landed a body shot on Sanchez but it was not enough. Sanchez continued to popDawejko with left jabs and straight right hands. Sanchez started to land combinations in round nine. At the end of the round, Sanchez landed a right hand on the head of Dawejko and Dawejko landed a quick counter right hand on the head of Sanchez. In the final round, Dawejko had a better round and got closer to Sanchez. In the inside, Dawejko landed a few body shots and Sanchez kept boxing and moving. The final scores of the fight were 98-92, and 100-90 (twice) all for Sanchez.

It was a good win for Sanchez who displayed good boxing skills. He out boxed and outclassed a durable challenger in Dawejko. Sanchez did not get a knockout but Dawejko is a tough guy with a good chin. We should see Sanchez against a tougher opponent in his next outing.

Posted on 02/19/2020

By: Kirk Jackson

Almost twenty years ago, there was an important question posed across the musical/cinematic universe that happens to apply towards the mega-event rematch, this upcoming weekend between Deontay Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KO’s) and Tyson Fury (29-0-1, 20 KO’s).

“Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity

To seize everything you ever wanted, in one moment

Would you capture it, or just let it slip?” – Eminem

“Lose Yourself” was the lead-off hit single to soundtrack of critically acclaimed movie 8 Mile, released back in 2002. Many of the lyrics, question included serve as soundtrack and provide the backdrop for this epic rematch between Wilder and Fury.

It only takes one shot, one punch, for Wilder to end the fight and display why he remains the most dangerous man in boxing.

Ruling with bronze fists, the long-time WBC heavyweight champion always comes equipped with bombs ready to detonate and with a singular focus for destruction of his opposition.

“My gut just tells me that I’m ready to go,” Wilder said. “I’m in the best shape of my life. My gut tells me that I’m prepared more than anything. I’m about to put on a show.”

“My gut tells me that I’m the heavyweight champion of the world, and I can’t be beat. And I can’t wait for February 22nd, so I can lay him to rest. That’s what my gut’s telling me.”

Recently hinting at retirement, Fury may only have one shot left for his run at the top of the heavyweight division.

This may sound odd, considering Fury seemingly rose from the canvas multiple times during his first encounter against Wilder. Fury self-described rose like a “Phoenix,” earning a draw in what was a spectacular fight.

While Fury figuratively rose as a phoenix, his personality also shines just as bright – like an irrepressible flame, signifying the resiliency in his personal life; overcoming self-induced drug abuse, battling addictions, depression and overall poor health.

“There’s no stress for me going into the fight,” Fury said. “You know, I’ve been 12 rounds with him, out-boxed him quite comfortable, took his best shots, got up, fired back into it. The one who should be concerned is Deontay Wilder because with him being a one-trick pony, he’s a knockout artist, but he had me down twice in two rounds, nine and 12, and he had over two minutes in each round to finish me and he couldn’t finish me. It was like that ‘Mortal Kombat’ [guy] that said, ‘Finish him!’”

“He couldn’t finish me, so yeah, he’s the one who should be concerned. He’s landed the two best punches that any heavyweight in the world could ever land on somebody else, and ‘The Gypsy King’ rose like a phoenix from the ashes, back to me feet and hurt him in the end of the round.”

“So yeah, it’s gonna be pretty difficult for Wilder, not me. This is heavyweight boxing – I’ve been hit, I’ve been hurt, I’ve been put down in me career. But it’s not when we get put down, it’s what happens when we get back up, keep moving forward.”

Wilder has a different perspective of how the first fight went and has a plan to end things in his favor the second time around.

“I have to throw a lot more in general, for real. The jab sets things up. It sets the right hand up. The left hook, and the uppercut, and everything you want to throw right after it. We’re adding a lot more two-and-three-punch combinations,” said Wilder.

“When I go in there, it’s not like I’m trying to play with fire or lose rounds or whatever. No one wants to lose rounds,” the WBC heavyweight champion continued.

“When you have devastating power like I do, you don’t really worry about it too much. It’s a 12-round fight. Thirty-six minutes. Somebody is going to have to make a mistake, and guess what; you’re going to make more than one mistake. They have to be perfect for 12 rounds. I only have to be perfect for two seconds.”

“My fists are wrecking balls. I told Fury I was going to baptize him. His nerves come from being knocked down before. Just imagine if you were the opponent that night, and you don’t know how f*** you got up? It’s scary, not only to you, but to your family, your friends — everybody. That’s why they don’t want him to take it again. My last two outings didn’t make it any better for him, because I knocked out two guys in devastating fashion. His outings versus my outings are day and night.”

And to Wilder’s point, his last two outings were also against superior opposition in comparison to who Fury battled in preparation for this rematch.

But against different opposition, come varying opportunities and intangibles.

Will the Gypsy King maneuver out of harm’s way and deliver enough punishment to turn the tides and knockout the knockout artist?

Can the Bronze Bomber manipulate his and Fury’s body positioning, to the point to where he lands that vaunted right hand like illustrated in the video below?

Secondary questions to ponder – if Wilder lands the right hand and Fury falls, when will it happen? Will time play friend or foe to Wilder? If Fury is planted on the canvas again will he rise yet again from the grave? And can Wilder put away The Gypsy King for good?

The song “Lose Yourself” is a depiction of an underdog sacrificing everything; battling nerves, combatting all of the negative forces pitted against them and overcoming the odds. While no longer underdogs, both Wilder and Fury are now regarded as respective kings of their craft.

They both represent the manifestation of hard work, natural talent, determination, grit and mental fortitude it takes to rise to the top of the sport. Similar like many great champions of the past.

While discussing the rematch, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson chimed in proclaiming his admiration of both fighters because of similar humble beginnings.

“They both came from nothing and achieved becoming heavyweight champion. You have to respect that. I was in their position one time,” said Tyson.

It’ll be interesting to see if Fury channels some of the same aggression of the former heavyweight champion he was named after.

Wilder and Fury will each have their opportunity, their shot to win the title and emerge as the premier heavyweight in the world. Who takes it?

Posted on 02/14/2020

By: Hans Themistode

When WBC Heavyweight titlist Deontay Wilder and Lineal champ Tyson Fury faced each other back on December 1st of 2018, at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles California, the contest was viewed as the puncher vs the boxer. 

For all intensive purposes, that is exactly how it played out. 

Fury boxed and moved for the entirety of the 12 rounds. Wilder on the other hand, kept loading up for one big shot. Each man had their moments but a winner could not be determined. 

If you appreciated the sweet science that is associated with boxing, then you gave the edge to Fury. If you are a fan of explosive power, then the two knockdowns that were scored by Wilder was the way to go for you. 

With the rematch between them just a few days away on February 22nd, Fury has decided to change up just about everything. It isn’t just that Fury has gone in a different direction in terms of trainers, dropping Ben Davison in favor of Sugar Hill Steward, but his herky jerky boxing style won’t be there either. Or at least, that’s what he claims. 

With Fury believing that he received an unfair decision, he’s opted to go for the knockout. Even going as far as to predict that he’ll get the job done in just two rounds. No, he doesn’t seem to be speaking hyperbolically either. 

Wilder may not be the best boxer in the world, but his power is second to none. With 20 stoppage wins of his own in 30 career contests, Fury may seem to have a bit of pop in his fists. 

On December 1st, in Las Vegas Nevada, the contest between these two men may have looked grueling on the outside but to Wilder, it felt as though he had just left a pillow fight from a slumber party. 

“There was no rounds where I was threatened by his power,” said Wilder during a recent conference call. “He has pillow as fists, that’s how soft they were. Even after the fight, sometimes you may feel sore but after the fight I didn’t feel anything. I took the punches that he landed and I walked right through it. I don’t respect none of the power that he has. He’s just a tall big man that can move around the ring. That’s about it. In terms of power there is none there.” 

With the help of Fury’s old trainer Ben Davison, he’s learned the art of hitting his opponents without getting hit in return. But that wasn’t good enough anymore. 

Since the switch in trainers, Fury is convinced that the new found power he has picked up from working with Sugar will lead to the knockout victory. 

Wilder on the other hand is incredulous to that statement.

“I don’t care what trainer he brings in, you don’t develop power in just a couple weeks or months. What fighter has his trainer developed into getting power? How the hell is he going to do it for Fury? It’s impossible.”  

Posted on 02/13/2020

By: Hans Themistode

When a fighter decides to move up or down in weight, almost every single time it is out of necessity. Either he has gotten older and he has filled out his body more which essentially makes cutting weight more difficult, or the competition has simply gotten too stiff and it’s now time to move down. 

In the case of Sergey Kovalev, his reasoning seems to stem from having nothing left to prove at the Light Heavyweight division. He may have been knocked out in his last ring appearance against Canelo Alvarez, but before that, he was a three time world champion and at one point held three of the four major belts in the division. 

There wasn’t a single pound for pound list that did not include the name Sergey Kovalev near the top of it. Now, at the age of 36, Kovalev is clearly not the fighter he once was. The nickname that fans had grown accustomed to calling him, the “Krusher” no longer fits him. 

Many believed that Kovalev would take the career high payday he received from Alvarez and ride off into the sunset. Yet, that doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon. 

Kovalev wants one more title run. Matchups against WBA belt holder Dmitry Bivol and unified champion Artur Beterbiev would still generate buzz, but that isn’t the direction Kovalev is heading towards. 

The former unified champ is tired of killing his body to make weight and instead, has opted to move up to the Cruiserweight division. 

Outside of the Heavyweight division, the jump from 175 to 200 is the largest in terms of weight in the entire sport of boxing. Kovalev has always been a great fighter at 175, but he wasn’t never a big man. He has a slender build but does still seem to have great power. 

Kovalev is incredibly audacious in his decision to move up in weight, but it could lead to his detriment. The extra pounds that Kovalev would be afforded could be to his benefit, but when listening to how his trainer Buddy McGirt wants to approach his new weight class, it could leave you scratching your head.

“He’s going up to cruiserweight,” said McGirt. “We’ll start training in about a month. As long as we go to 185 [pounds], we’re good. No more than 185,” McGirt said. “He can come in at 180 and beat those guys. He’ll be light, and that’s OK. I think he’ll be better at that weight.” 

Only time will tell if Kovalev’s move up in weight was a sagacious one.

Posted on 11/24/2019

By: William Holmes

The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada was the host site for tonight’s Fox Sports Pay Per View Main Event between Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz.

The undercard featured a lot of close action-packed fights. The co-main event between Santa Cruz and Flores as well as the bout between Figueroa and Ceja featured a high volume of punches.

Luis Nery and Emmanuel Rodriguez were originally scheduled to fight on the undercard, but that bout was cancelled after Nery came in a pound overweight.

The Leo Santa Cruz fight didn’t end until 11:45 PM EST, which meant the main event didn’t start until after midnight. Luis Ortiz entered the ring first and Wilder entered second in an extravagant outfit to an entire arena standing on their feet.

Photo Credit: Premier Boxing Champions Twitter Account

The following is a round by round recap of the main event of the night.

Deontay Wilder (41-0-1) vs. Luis Ortiz (31-1); WBC Heavyweight Title

Round 1:
Wilder has the height and reach advantage over Ortiz. Both boxers appear to be a little cautious at first. Ortiz pressing forward but doesn’t pull the trigger yet. Wilder throws a lazy jab to the body. Ortiz throws a right hook to the body of Wilder, and Wilder answers with one of his own. Ortiz blocks two jabs from Wilder. Ortiz touches Wilder with a good straight left hand. Wilder misses with a straight right and Ortiz lands a jab in response. Wilder flicks out a short jab. Ortiz has a slight cut by his right eye. Ortiz straight left is blocked by Wilder. Not a lot of action in the first round, but Ortiz had the best punch of the round.

10-9 Ortiz

Round 2:
Ortiz throws out two jabs but misses. Wilder is pawing his jab in the face of Ortiz. Both boxers are keeping their distance looking for a counter. Ortiz misses with a wild left to the body of Wilder. Wilder throws out a straight right hand that is partially blocked. Wilder throws out a check left hook and Ortiz stabs a jab to the body. Wilder and Ortiz both miss straight crosses. Wilder flicks out three jabs and a cross to the body. Ortiz is showing good head movement. Ortiz bangs to the body of Wilder. Ortiz lands a left to the head and body of Wilder. Wilder lands a jab to the nose of Ortiz. Another slower round.

10-9 Wilder; 19-19

Round 3:
Wilder goes back to pawing a jab in the face of Ortiz. Ortiz lands a left to the body of Wilder. Wilder misses with a left hook to the body. Ortiz lands a straight left on Wilder’s face. Lots of feints early on in the round. Ortiz blocks a straight right by Wilder. Ortiz almost has Wilder trapped in a corner and lands a body shot. Wilder responds with a jab in the face of Ortiz. Wilder throws out a double jab. Ortiz bangs a good left off the head of Wilder and follows it with a body shot. Wilder lands a good straight right that catches Ortiz’s attention. Ortiz is backing Wilder up this round.

10-9 Ortiz; 29-28 Ortiz

Round 4:
Ortiz pressing forward slowly and throws out three consecutive jabs. Wilder lands a check left hook. Wilder looks a little looser this round. Ortiz momentarily traps Wilder by the corner and throws out two hard left hooks that barely miss. Ortiz ducks under a Wilder right and lands a combo in response. Wilder tells Ortiz to bring it and Ortiz smiles at him. Ortiz is still stalking Wilder, but neither boxer is throwing anything of note. Both appear to respect each other’s power. Wilder throws a power right hand that is blocked. Ortiz throws a left to the body of Wilder.

10-9 Ortiz; 39-37 Ortiz

Round 5:
The slower pace of this fight so far favors Ortiz. Ortiz barely misses an overhand left. Wilder pawing his jab in the face of Ortiz. Crowd is chanting for Ortiz. Ortiz lands another left to the body of Wilder. Wilder is hesitant to open up and take a risk. Ortiz ducks under a two punch combo by Wilder. Ortiz lands another shot to the body of Wilder. Ortiz misses a looping left hook to the body. Ortiz continues to throw to the body of Wilder. Wilder bangs two punches off the shoulder of Ortiz. Ortiz has Wilder backing into a corner again. Wilder lands a good left hand that seems to stun Ortiz a little bit. Ortiz lands a left cross and Wilder tags Ortiz with a jab. Wilder wins the round based on that jab maybe hurting Ortiz, but close round.

10-9 Wilder; 48-47 Ortiz

Round 6:
Ortiz is once again backing Wilder up slowly. Ortiz throws a misses barely with a left to the body. Wilder has been mainly landing jabs. Wilder misses with a jab. Ortiz is looking for a counter on Wilder. Ortiz lands good short jab. Wilder tags Ortiz with a jab. Both boxers land lead hooks. Wilder lands another lead left hook. Ortiz throws out a three punch combo but it is mainly blocked. Wilder lands a jab. Another close round.

10-9 Wider; 57-57

Round 7:
Wilder opens up with a left hook to the body of Ortiz. Ortiz lands a good left to the body. Wilder gets tagged with a counter left hand. Ortiz lands another good left hand. Ortiz has to be careful with freely exchanging with a power puncher like Wilder. Wilder touoches Ortiz with a jab. Wilder lands a good lead straight right. Wilder barely misses with another straight right hand. Wilder misses with a right hook. Wilder throwing more right hands this round. Ortiz flicks out three jabs that are short. Wilder lands a left hook to the body. Ortiz lands a two punch combination. Ortiz may have Wilder a little stunned. Wilder is backing into a corner and Ortiz lands an over the top left. Wilder lands a vicious straight right hand and Ortiz drops to the mat. Ortiz is unable to get up before the count of ten.

Deontay Wilder once again proves when you have power, all it takes is one punch.

Deontay Wilder wins by knockout 2:51 of the seventh round.

Posted on 11/05/2019

By: Waqas Ali

Former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is being pushed on the forefront for many big names in the heavyweight division.

The 32-year-old was recently announced as a potential opponent for Deontay Wilder’s WBC heavyweight title based on recent performance and credentials.

Moving in the queue, he is listed No.5 on the ranking. Overlapping the likes of Adam Kownacki, Joseph Parker, Kubrat Pulev and Oscar Rivas, that had been dropped down the list.

The Ukrainian star is also eligible for a voluntary defence by Wilder.

Dillian Whyte, who is the main mandatory for Wilder’s belt has had no luck in getting that opportunity.

He is currently awaiting a response from UKADA and VADA over an adverse finding in a UKAD test taken before his fight against Oscar Rivas, whom he defeated to secure the mandatory spot.

If cleared, he will be become the mandatory challenger in February 2021, according to the WBC.

With that being said, Usyk could lead the race as this would mean that a bout with Wilder could be in the works next year.

Without a doubt, Usyk is one of the best talents in boxing today. He currently boasts a record of 17 wins (13 KOS) and no defeats.

He conquered the cruiserweight division claiming the WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF titles.

In his first heavyweight bout, he retired Chazz Witherspoon in the seventh round. Usyk’s footwork, speed and power were exceptional and well-executed.

In round six, around the 1:59 mark, he threw a blistering four-punch combination that pushed Witherspoon on the dodge of his feet and roared the crowd as they cheered for him.

He landed an astonishing 70% of his power punches and 40% of his overall shots.

In his post-fight interview, he said that he was ready for whoever is there for him next because he had been made mandatory challenger for the WBO belt.

“I am ready, I am ready to fight whoever. If they give me the [WBO] mandatory then of course I am ready to take it,” Usyk said.

Just like with the WBC, Whyte was mandatory but did not get a shot at the title. The WBO stated in that because Usyk claimed all four major belts and earned the title ‘Super Champion’.

He was also available to fight at the time of the report being released whereas Whyte was scheduled to fight on July 20th.

Boxing sources have stated that no mandatory challenger has been filled until after the Ruiz vs Joshua rematch.

British contender Dereck Chisora was named another candidate for Usyk and since he recently defeated fellow Brit David Price, he had been urging for a fight against the newly heavyweight.

His manager David Haye said: “He’s mandatory for the WBO world title and Dereck’s just won a WBO trinket. It would make sense to make the fight.”

A potential clash between Usyk and Chisora would be a huge sell. British boxing fans have taken Usyk as a fighter of a great resume, risks and rewards.

To support this point, in the fight against Tony Bellew, it generated more than 600,000 in viewership with 20,000 fans in attendance at the Manchester Arena.

The level and popularity of Usyk in the boxing world is strong and huge. He is well appreciated and strongly commended from the hardcore boxing fans who study the manly art of the sweet science.

His punches are sweet to see but sour to taste.

Posted on 10/25/2019

By: Hans Themistode

Former undisputed Cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) made a successful debut at the Heavyweight division just a few short days ago.

A jam packed crowd at the Wintrust Arena, in Chicago witnessed Usyk dismantle his late replacement foe, Chazz Witherspoon. It wasn’t surprising to see Usyk win the bout, but it was alarming to see how long it took him to get the job done.

Many weren’t expecting Witherspoon to spend nearly as much time in the ring with the Gold Medal winning Usyk. Questions surrounding his power have surfaced, and for good reason. Usyk has never been known as a power puncher. Instead, many have been in awe of his boxing ability.

With the victory, Usyk holds firm to his mandatory position in the WBO sanctioning body. He now will await the winner between current unified champion Andy Ruiz Jr and former belt holder Anthony Joshua, as their rematch will take place in Saudi Arabia in early December.

While Usyk has already made it clear that he intends on fighting for a world championship in 2020, he does have his eyes on facing another belt holder in the division, WBC champion Deontay Wilder. In an interview previously taken, Usyk mentioned that of all the current Heavyweight belt holders that Lineal champion Tyson Fury would prove to be the most difficult challenge. Wilder on the other hand, would be the easiest.

The undefeated knockout artist heard the remarks made by Usyk but was unfazed by them.

“Oleksandr Usyk isn’t a threat to me. He’s too small for me,” said Wilder. “I mean, he does a lot of movement, and stuff like that, but that don’t faze me.”

A showdown between the two Heavyweight stars is sure to be one that would interest plenty of fans. The opinions surrounding who exactly would win that aforementioned contest is up in the air.

No matter who would win such a contest, it would surely be a back and forth close contest wouldn’t it? Maybe to fans on the outside looking in, but not to the unified Lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko. He fully expects his countrymen and good friend Usyk to fully dominate that future matchup.

“He will school Deontay Wilder,” said Lomachenko.

Lomachenko did not mince words. Schooling Wilder seems a bit farfetched. He has yet to taste defeat in his 42 career contest and he hasn’t met a man that he wasn’t able to put down on the canvas. Usyk possesses a high pedigree in terms of his boxing ability, but his lack of power in his new division could be an issue. Wilder has proven, especially in his contest against both Fury and Luis Ortiz, that it doesn’t matter if his opponent is outboxing him for the majority of the contest. He can turn things around with a single punch.

With Usyk and Wilder now campaigning in the same division, the possibility of them sharing the ring to end the debate seems likely.

Posted on 09/19/2019

By: Shane Willoughby

As we all know both the IBF and WBO have waiting mandatory challengers for the winner of the Ruiz vs Joshua rematch.

There were fears earlier this year after the first bout, that Andy Ruiz might be stripped of the IBF belt, especially due to their strict standards. But they reassured the public that the WBO mandatory comes first.

Then both Governing bodies decided to sanction the rematch between Ruiz and AJ which meant that both belts will be on the line for the rematch. However, the winner of that fight will have heavy mandatory obligations; obligations that will be nearly impossible to uphold.

Currently, Oleksandr Usyk is mandatory for the WBO and Kubrat Pulev is mandatory for the IBF. Once the rematch takes place both governing bodies will enforce mandatories within a short period of time. Probably within a matter of months.

The reason why is because both the WBO and IBF haven’t had a mandatory defence since 2017, so by the time AJ and Ruiz rematch it will be almost 3 years since a mandatory has been faced for these sanctioning bodies.

By most governing bodies rules a champion should face a mandatory once a year depending on the situation. With it being such a long time since the belts have been defended, it is no surprise that both governing bodies are desperate to enforce mandatory fights.

The chances of the winner of fight between Ruiz and Joshua being stripped or vacating is extremely likely. As they will probably be asked to fight two fights within an unrealistic time period.

A similar scenario to this is when Fury defeated at the time unified champion Vladimir Klitschko. Once Fury collected all the straps, he was instantly stripped from the IBF belt due to him not fulfilling his mandatory obligations.

In this situation it will be the WBO as there mandatory is up next. However, unlike Fury, the most likely scenario is the WBO belt getting vacated. For many reasons.

One reason is because it will be impossible to fight both mandatories in such close proximity, so more than likely the winner will have to choose which between fighting Pulev and fighting Usyk. Many fighters will see Pulev as the easier opponent so they may look for the easier option.

If Ruiz beats Joshua again, with him being with Al Haymon it is likely they vacate the WBO anyway as PBC do not consider the governing bodies as a legitimate belt.

Whereas if AJ wins I’m almost certain he will vacate the WBO. The main reason is, with Usyk being signed to Matchroom, vacating the WBO will mean the belt stays in house, whereas if he was to vacate the IBF belt the chances of regaining the belt from Pulev and Top Rank will be near impossible.

It will be extremely likely that Eddie Hearn will advise him to vacate the WBO. In addition to that AJ has spoken about getting an easy opponent after the Ruiz rematch and as stated earlier Usyk is seen amongst boxing fans as a tricky opponent.

Posted on 09/10/2019

By: Shane Willoughby

After his recent win over Hughie Fury, Povetkin has found himself in a very tricky position.

The Russian rolled back the years to outwork and defeat someone young enough to be his son. Povetkin proved that not only is he still a threat to many fighters in the division but age is only a number.

Although Povetkin was favourite before the bout, not many had Povetkin picked him to win on points and so comfortably. As the fight got on ‘Sasha’ defied the laws of nature and got stronger.

With all that said Povetkin is now 40 years old and has a lot of miles on the clock so, it’s only a matter of time before he hangs up the gloves. But when?

After being stopped in the 7th round last September against former unified champion Anthony Joshua, many thought that his chances of a world title are gone, and his retirement was looking imminent.

Since then Povetkin has been linked with fights against Dillian Whyte, Oleksandr Usyk, Michael Hunter and Tyson Fury. All of those are more than substantial and a win over one of those fighters will propel him back into title contention.

Whilst it doesn’t look this way, logic will say that his days at the top level is numbered, with maybe a few big fights left. So with time being so limited, he cannot afford to be so inactive.

Povetkin has only fought once in the past year and with all due respect to Fury, his level of competition hasn’t been very high. The former WBA champion has expressed his desire to face the Gypsy King at the end of the year which is a big step up from his cousin.

But with Tyson Fury set to face Wilder next February, it’s hard to see him take such a big risk and face the Russian. Plus with Usyk and Hunter already with fight dates, it looks as if Povetkins chance of a big fight this year is slim.

However, Eddie Hearn has a massive stable of heavyweights and one fight that is extremely likely for Povetkin is the winner of Chisora vs Parker. However with Chisora and Parker set to fight this October, the fight with Povetkin won’t happen until next year.

The 40-year-old is highly ranked with all of the governing bodies so many fighters coming up could look at Povetkin as a fight with a lot to gain, not to mention the fact that he is a great name to have a win over.

Whatever Povetkin decides to do next, he has to make his decision soon because father time is knocking at the door.

Posted on 09/04/2019

By: Hans Themistode

Although the negations took longer than expected, former Heavyweight champion Jospeh Parker (26-2, 20 KOs) and Dereck Chisora (31-9, 22 KOs) have finally agreed to terms for their bout. Both men are set to clash on October 26th, at the O2 arena, in the United Kingdom.

Chisora has always been up and down through out his career. He has been in countless big fights but has come up short every time out.

Bouts against Tyson Fury, David Haye, Vitali Klitschko and Dillian Whyte (twice) have ended with Chisora on his back. On the 26th of October he won’t just have a former champion in front of him but an opportunity to change the narrative surrounding his career.

It was as recent as 2016 when Parker was labeled as a world champion. With back to back wins under his belt, Chisora could claim the biggest scalp of his career thus far. The motivation will be at an all-time high for Chisora but so will it be for Parker.

New Zealand’s first world champion will have his chance to get back into the championship mix. Parker will also be given the chance to erase several bad memories that are associated with the United Kingdom.

The former champions two defeats came across the pond when he took on former unified Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and former title challenger Dillian Whyte. Parker fought hard in both contest but he did not come out with the victory.

Parker’s contest with Chisora will be the second of a three fight deal he has signed with promoter Eddie Hearn earlier this year.

The record of Chisora, which included nine losses won’t provide comfort for Parker. Chisora is a veteran in the sport of boxing and has been on a roll ever since losing to Whyte. In fact, Chisora is undefeated during the 2019 calendar year.

“He’s coming off two good wins, so he’ll be full on confidence and out to make a statement,” said Parker. “As always, I back myself against any fighter on this planet and I’m expecting an exciting war on October 26th.”

One of those previously mentioned wins for Chisora came against Artur Szpilka, a 2016 title challenger. Chisora obliterated him in just two rounds earlier this year. He’ll be looking to do the exact same thing come October 26th to Joseph Parker.

“I’m a real fighter,” said Chisora. “I’m always ready to go to war. Szpilka felt what Derek ‘War’ Chisora is all about.”

At this point in their respective careers, neither man can afford a loss. A win can propel either man to the front of line in terms of championship aspirations.

Posted on 09/04/2019

By: Sean Crose

Oleksander Usyk, known as the undisputed, unquestioned king of the cruiserweight division, is now making his way to heavyweight. Long expected, the 16-0 Usyk’s first match in boxing’s big weight class will be against a fellow undefeated fighter, the 14-0 Tyrone Spong, in Chicago’s Wintrust Arena on October 12th. The scheduled 12 rounder will be aired live on the DAZN streaming service, and will be promoted by Matchroom Boxing, which Usyk has teamed with. Usyk’s first divisional opponent may not be a top name, but Spong is a legitimate contender nonetheless, currently ranked fourth in the WBOs official list of top heavyweights.

“I am very excited to make my heavyweight debut in Chicago on October 12, live on DAZN,” says Usyk. “Spong is a fast and powerful heavyweight who has had much success in the ring. I must come through this test to challenge for the world heavyweight title. I look forward to seeing everyone there.” The heavyweight division is a very interesting place at the moment, with names like Ruiz, Joshua, Fury, and Wilder populating the scene. Usyk is eager to have his name enter the conversation.

“Usyk’s heavyweight debut is one of the most hotly anticipated boxing moments of 2019,” says promoter Eddie Hearn, “and personally, I can’t wait to see it.” In just over fifteen fights, the Ukrainian is already considered by some to be one of the best boxers on the planet. “Oleksandr is a phenomenon who dominated the cruiserweight division becoming undisputed after just 15 fights,” says Hearn, who would like nothing more than to see his fighter do the same at heavyweight. First, though, there’s the matter of Spong, who Matchroom describes in a press release as “having joined the sweet science after leaving a stellar kickboxing career behind, winning 91 of his 100 bouts in a 13-year career littered with accolades and titles.”

“After achieving most of my goals as a kick boxer and becoming one of the most decorated champions in the history of the sport,” says Spong, “I wanted to test myself in the difficult and challenging sport of boxing.” Spong, who fights out of Florida, makes it clear he doesn’t see himself as anyone’s stepping stone. “I have worked tirelessly during the last three years,” he says, “and now have the opportunity to prove my worth as a boxer against perhaps the best pound for pound, and most technically sound boxer in the world. Some may think the challenge may be too difficult, but I believe in myself, and look forward to being victorious on October 12.”

The challenge may not be too difficult for Spong, but there’s little doubt that Usyk’s resume is impressive. Tony Bellew, Murat Gassiev, Mairis Briedis, and Marco Huck, high level competition all, have all fallen victim to Usyk during the course of the man’s last four fights. As a winner of both the World Boxing Super Series and an Olympic Gold Medal, the fighter now has one of the best pedigrees in boxing as he moves up to heavyweight.

Posted on 09/01/2019

By: Hans Themistode

Oleksandr Usyk (16-0, 12 KOs) is looking to make a big splash in the Heavyweight division.

After mowing down the competition at Cruiserweight, Oleksandr Usyk is ready to move on. While Usyk campaigned in the division he fought all of the top names.

Undefeated up and coming WBO champion Krzysztof Glowacki was outclassed. One of the longest reigning champions in Marco Huck was easily dispatched by stoppage in the tenth round. Mairis Briedis and Murat Gassiev had their once spotless records stained once they entered the ring against Usyk as well.

All four major titles in the division were wrapped around his waist at this point. He ended his career at Cruiserweight with a eighth round knockout win over Tony Bellew.

There was effectively nothing and no one left for Usyk to face so the move to Heavyweight was a well warranted one. Originally, he was scheduled to make his debut at his new weight class on May 25th against Carlos Takam. A bicep injury however, during his training camp forced him to the sidelines.

Now that he is fully healed, he is penciled in for a return in October. Unfortunately for Usyk, he has been unable to secure an opponent as of now.

So who exactly should welcome Usyk into the world of giants?
The Heavyweight division isn’t short on big name fighters, but many of them are occupied at the moment. The biggest names in the division including WBC belt holder Deontay Wilder, Lineal Champ Tyson Fury, unified champion Andy Ruiz and former unified champion Anthony Joshua are all currently booked in high profile fights.

The contenders, including Luis Ortiz, Alexander Povetkin and Hughie Fury are all busy as well.

So where exactly does that leave Usyk? Unfortunately for the former undisputed Cruiserweight champ, it leaves him in limbo.

Usyk has never been known for taking a soft touch. With such few options at the moment there is one name in the division that would make perfect sense for him. Kubrat Pulev.

Since getting stopped by Wladimir Klitschko in 2014 in his first attempt at a world title, Pulev has gone on to win seven straight fights. He is currently the IBF number one contender as well.

A fight between the two makes perfect sense. Not only would Pulev provide Usyk with a significant challenge, but it would also pave the way for the victor to take on the winner in the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz.

Usyk could of course opt for a soft touch but that has never been his style. Whomever he decides to take on in his Heavyweight debut will allow him the opportunity to announce his presence to the rest of the division.

Posted on 06/27/2019

By: Hand Themistode

Oleksandr Usyk (16-0, 12 KOs) has yet to make his debut at Heavyweight, yet he has his eyes set on the Heavyweight throne.

For this that are not familiar with Usyk, the best way to describe him is a much bigger version of Vasyl Lomachenko. The loud thudding noise must be from your jaw that has currently hit the ground after that description. Lomachenko is wildly regarded as the best pound for pound fighter in the world. Usyk is that good.

This comes as no surprise, seeing how Lomachenko’s father/trainer also trains Usyk as well.

The Ukrainian born fighter plowed through the Cruiserweight division. In a short span at the weight, he defeated everyone of note and captured every world title. A move to Heavyweight was warranted as he effectively cleaned out the entire division.

Usyk’s Heavyweight debut was booked against longtime contender Carlos Takam in May. It was a decent first step for Usyk and his new venture into an unknown division. The prevailing thought was that Usyk would get his feet wet in a contest against Takam and assuming he won that bout, he would move on to take on the likes of Alexander Povetkin. If Usyk managed to pull off that victory as well, then a matchup with former unified Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua would take place sometime in 2020.

Like often is the case in boxing, things never go quite as planned. Usyk was sidelined with a bicep injury while Joshua lost in a mega upset against Andy Ruiz. The former Cruiserweight star views this as an opening.
Usyk and his legal team wasted no time. Shortly after Ruiz’s major upset, Usyk requested to become the mandatory challenger from the WBO. They obliged.

Tune ups and warm up contest be damned. Like many fans and experts alike, Usyk sees this as a golden opportunity to win more gold. The Heavyweight division seems to be in disarray and Usyk wants to take full advantage.

It is difficult to find Usyk’s place amongst the current crop of Heavyweight fighters. Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury are rated as the best two fighters in the division. Andy Ruiz has made his mark as a true champion and although Anthony Joshua was defeated in his last outing, counting him out would be foolish.

Currently, Usyk should be rated behind all of these men, but it won’t be for long. This level of skill from a big man a rarity. It seems only a matter of time before Usyk proves that he not only belongs but that he is the best Heavyweight in the world.

Posted on 06/20/2019

By: Hans Themistode

The Heavyweight division is unpredictable at this moment. Just a few short weeks ago, former unified Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua was thought to be ahead of everyone else. It was an understandable thought process. He was after all, the owner of the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO titles. On June 1st, 2019, everything changed as Joshua was knocked out in the seventh round against Andy Ruiz.

The aforementioned Ruiz looked like a world beater that night. He picked himself up off the deck to drop Joshua four times. In doing so, he became the first Heavyweight world champion from Mexico. Ruiz doesn’t hold a perfect record. His lone defeat came at the hands of former WBO champion Joseph Parker back in 2016. Where exactly does Parker stand in the midst of all of this commotion? It’s hard to tell. He is a former champion, however he was defeated by both Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte in back to back contests.

Who can forget about the colorful yet talented Tyson Fury? The undefeated Heavyweight is fresh off a dominant win over the relatively unknown Tom Schwarz. It took Fury only two rounds to dispatch of his man.

There is also a long list of contenders who have yet to taste gold, but seemingly have what it takes to reign atop the division including Dillian Whyte, Luis Ortiz and Jarrell Miller to name a few.

Although the division is mired in confusion, one thing is clear. WBC champion Deontay Wilder is still the king of the division. In his last ring appearance, the Alabama native, absolutely destroyed his mandatory challenger Dominic Breazeale to the tune of a devastating one punch knockout in the very first round.

Wilder is now expected to rematch Luis Ortiz in the fall. Should he come out successful, he is lined up to take on Tyson Fury in yet another highly anticipated rematch.

The criticism of Wilder is well documented. He isn’t a good boxer, just avoid his right hand and he can’t do anything else. How can someone with such little skill become a champion? Put all of it to rest. Wilder isn’t just the best Heavyweight currently, but he is one of the very best in history. Wilder currently holds the fourth most title defenses in the Heavyweight division’s rich history.

Tyson Fury, Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua are all great fighters and champions, but they are all fighting for second place. Deontay Wilder is still the king of this division.

Posted on 05/10/2019

Thanks everybody for joining us. We have an exciting fight to talk about, certainly one of the biggest fights of the year.

Wilder vs. Breazeale is Saturday, May 18 live on SHOWTIME. It’s the heavyweight championship of the world. It is at Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING and it’s presented by Premier Boxing Championships. Tickets for the BombZquad event are available through Ticketmaster, barclayscenter.com and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center.

Now I’m going to introduce Stephen Espinoza, President of Sports and Event Programming for Showtime Networks to make introductory comments. Stephen.

Stephen Espinoza

Thanks very much, Kelly. We are thrilled to be presenting Wilder vs. Breazeale on SHOWTIME a week from Saturday. Before we get there we are committed to this fight as if it were a pay-per-view because we believe that that’s where Deontay is in his career and this is the level of promotion that a fight of this caliber deserves.

So we will be premiering ALL ACCESS: WILDER vs. BREAZEALE on Friday, May 10th at 10 p.m. Following that will be a three-fight ShoBox telecast featuring Ruben Villa in the main event.

And those of you who know me know that I’m also a hip-hop music fan so I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Wu-Tang documentary, “Of Mics and Men,” that’s premiering tomorrow. So it’s a big lineup tomorrow night on SHOWTIME – 9 p.m. is the Wu-Tang documentary followed by ALL ACCESS: WILDER vs. BREAZEALE at 10 p.m. and then ShoBox at 10:30.

Next week ALL ACCESS will be active a daily basis debuting new short form episodes every day during fight week. Then we get to the fight itself. Look, I’m not going to give you too much about this.

You have two s6-foot-s7 heavyweights with a combined 90% knockout ratio so you really don’t have to sell too much on this one. Since 2015, SHOWTIME has featured 14 heavyweight world title fights.. We are happy to see the resurgence of the heavyweight division. We’re proud for our role in it. No other network has been as committed to the heavyweight division and no other network has done more to bring about this resurgence.

So we are thrilled to be seeing the heavyweights back on this massive stage once again. As I mentioned combined record of these two fighters, 60 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw, 57 KOs. That is a knockout rate over 90%.

Deontay Wilder, obviously he’s coming off two of his most exciting and certainly career-defining performances – a Fight of the Year caliber fight against Luis Ortiz in March of 2018 and then his pay-per-view debut against Tyson Fury.

Those were two of the most exciting heavyweight fights that we’ve seen in quite some time. In Dominic Breazeale, Wilder will be facing a tall, strong, experienced and very motivated opponent.

At 6-foot-7, Dominic is one of the few heavyweights in the division who looks eye to eye with Deontay so that will be a different experience. With 18 KO victories in 21 professional fights, he has been on the world stage before taking on Anthony Joshua in the U.K.

And it’s no secret that there’s a personal rivalry from these two guys so there is no shortage of motivation. All in all we’re looking forward to this three fight card. Again, ALL ACCESS: WILDER vs. BREAZEALE will kick it off Friday at 10 p.m. followed by ShoBox and we will see all of you a week from Saturday in Brooklyn.

K. Swanson

Thanks Stephen. And yes, now we are going to turn to “Trouble” himself, Dominic “Trouble Breazeale”. He’s 20 and 1, with 18 knockouts. He’s a WBC mandatory challenger. He’s a 2012 U.S. Olympian from Glendale, California.

For this fight it’s his first fight training with Virgil Hunter in the Bay area. He previously challenged Anthony Joshua for the heavyweight title in 2016 and he won his last three fights by knockout.

So without further ado, we’d love to hear from you Dominic and if you’d like to make opening comments before we open it up the press and just let us know how things are going and your thoughts on the fight a week from Saturday:

Dominic Breazeale

Thank you Kelly. Camp is going great up here in the Bay Area. Virgil Hunter’s done a great job of putting things in and implementing my game plan going into this fight May 18.

I’m definitely excited to be fighting on the world stage again for the WBC title. May 18 is going to be an explosive night. You’ve got two knockout artists, two big six-foot-seven guys.

I’m super excited to be involved with the event. I’m super excited to get a big KO win May 18. Like I said, the body feels great. Camp has gone up and beyond what I expected it to be.

I’m super ready. I can’t wait to get on this plane and get to New York and get this started.

Q

Deontay Wilder has turned out to be a pretty good heavyweight champion. What makes you think you can beat him?

D. Breazeale

Your opinion on him being a pretty good heavyweight champion, that’s your opinion alone. I don’t think anyone else agrees with you on that one. But I don’t see any fundamental skills. I don’t see any successes on his part.

He’s been champion for about four years. He hasn’t grown. He hasn’t changed. Yes, he’s got a big right-hand but don’t we all in the heavyweight division? We all have knockout power.

So I think I’m walking into a fight where I’m the more skilled, more athletic and bigger, stronger guy.

Q

You’re training with Virgil Hunter now. What has he brought to the table for you?

D. Breazeale

A little bit of everything. don’t see how I’ve come this far in my career, ten years of boxing now and haven’t learned some of the fundamental basics that he’s used to restructure me.

Yes, they’ve always been there but with this new approach training he was able to bring a lot more out in my fundamentals as far as when I use my jab and how I use it and other things that we plan on using in our game plan on May 18.

Q

How badly would you like a knockout in this specific fight given all the animosity that’s been going on between yourself and Wilder that stems back to your issues a couple of years ago in Birmingham?

D. Breazeale

Going into every fight is probably the biggest fight of your life. And I’m always looking for a huge knockout, something to impress the fans and impress the boxing community.

At the same time, I’m never looking for it. I’m never trying to surge and try too hard to get the knockout. I always let it come. But this one, it’s going to be a lot better success. It’s going to be a lot better sleeping May 18 the night after I win the title, if I get a knockout.

Don’t get me wrong. A win’s a win but at the same time I want to impress the world. I want to impress the boxing community with a big knockout. When I say big knockout one where my right hand, my left hand is going to make contact and he goes out. Doesn’t get back up.

Q

So what would be the personal satisfaction on that besides just the great accomplishment to win the heavyweight belt?

D. Breazeale

The personal thing from the outside of the ring makes the revenge factor. You approach myself and my wife and kids in a situation that was not boxing related.

The gratification and the fact that my personal revenge, knocking out Deontay Wilder is a lot bigger than just an actual win or KO on any other given night.

Q

How do you think that you can stand-up to his right hand, if Anthony Joshua was able to get you?

D. Breazeale

I’ve grown a lot in the last few years. The Joshua fight was an eye opener. It was good experience. I learned then that I was standing there a lot more and taking some damage that I didn’t need to take because of the big guy that I am.

As I said earlier, Wilder’s got a big right hand but so do I and I’ve got a big left hook. In the heavyweight division if you don’t have knockout power, you’ve got no reason to be in the division.

So yes, Wilder’s going to throw some leather and make some contact by all means. Boxing, it’s all about hitting and not getting hit. I don’t plan on getting hit a lot May 18 and if I do, I’ve been there. I’ve done that before.

At the same time I plan on putting on all the punishment. And if the right hand comes, so be it. I’ll deal with it. It’s part of boxing.

Q

We want to see the heavyweight champions fight each other. What is your statement on that as far as the way that people look at the heavyweight division right now?

D. Breazeale

I don’t disagree with you or the boxing fans just because I’m a boxing fan myself. Of course you always want to see the title holders fight each other.

But right now I think those five names you mentioned, myself, Andy Ruiz, Tyson Fury, Wilder and Joshua, we are the top of the division and the fans are getting exposed to what they want to see. They’re getting exposed to a heavyweight fight.

When I fight Wilder May 18 it’s not going to be boring. It’s going to be action packed. It’s going to be big punch after big punch. And the thing with Joshua and Andy Ruiz, I’m excited to be part of the division. I’m excited to be where I am now standing. I’m also super excited to be the spoiler.

Wilder’s had a great deal on the table, whenever he was working with Joshua and I think he should have taken it because come May 18, I’m going to ruin everything.

I’m going to put my name in that hat with Joshua and I definitely want my revenge against Joshua so we’re going to make some things up in the near future. My way to do that is to get my WBC title and that’s what I plan on doing.

Q

You think that fight against Carlos Negron might have knocked off some ring rust and maybe helped you prepare for the fight against Deontay Wilder?

D. Breazeale

Yes, anytime you have a little bit of layoff, a little bit of ring rust you don’t want that of course but I was glad I was able to do it December 22 against Carlos Negron.

I’m happy to be getting in the ring as soon as I am now for the WBC title shot. There wasn’t a long layoff between me in the ring December 22, taking a couple of days off for Christmas and New Years and getting right back in the gym in January.

So I think like I said earlier, I’ve had a great camp. I’ve had a lot less layoff than in the past and all cylinders are firing.

Q

Was it tough having to wait before you knew you would get that opportunity to face Deontay?

D. Breazeale

Yes, definitely tough. I won the WBC title eliminator against Eric Molina and then to be told that it’s going to be sometime, six months, seven months which turned into I think almost about a year.

That was very tough because I’m one of the guys who stayed in the gym. I’m sparing every other day or sparing once a week. I’m always in the gym and I’m always working. Sometimes that can take a toll on you.

But fortunately in my favor it worked out great. I got another fight against Carlos Negron and attended the WBC mandatory and here a year and a half later getting ready to fight for a world title. In a sense, it kept me motivated. It kept me working.

Q

What did you think of Deontay’s performance against Tyson Fury? Did watching that fight kind of give you a better idea of what you need to do to beat Deontay Wilder?

D. Breazeale

Yes, definitely. It gave me some better things to be focusing on and to hone in on at the same time. I was there in person.

I thought Fury won that fight. I know he got knocked down a couple of times but as far as the boxing, the world looks at him how he scored in a boxing match. Tyson outscored Wilder that night and won that fight.

Fury did some good things. He had some great defensive movements. He did some good attacks as well as counter punching. On the other hand, Wilder did the same thing over and over like he’s done in his last four, five fights – over the last four or five years is throw the one, two and hopefully hope and pray that the right hand lands eventually.

There were some things that I learned from the fight as well as some things I’ve continuously seen over and over, time and time again.

Q

What were your thoughts when you got found by Michael King?

D. Breazeale

The idea first came across in a phone call. Joe Onowar, he called me, he was the recruiter at the time. I completely thought he was crazy.

`There was no way in hell that I was going to pick up boxing at 23 years old after I’d done football, basketball, track, baseball, hockey, wrestling – all that as a kid. Never stepped foot into a boxing ring, then to pick it up as a sport at 23 years old when I was at the end of my career.

Honestly at the time I thought it was a real dumb idea but three months into it after I had my first amateur fight and 18 months later when I became a 2012 Olympian and now 10 years later now I’m fighting for the WBC World Title, I think Michael King was the smartest man on the planet.

For me to be the one that came out the man on top is special, there were hundreds of athletes that came to the door. I feel like the idea of turning a Division One athlete into a professional boxer. It was crazy then ten years ago but now, I think it’s a great phenomenal idea.

Q

Even Jim Brown thought that with a couple months of training he could fight Muhammad Ali. Why is it that football players have this idea that hey, if I’m good at football I can be just as good at boxing?

D. Breazeale

I think the idea of the contact was that thinking that I’m a big man. I’m aggressive. I’m powerful, that type of thing. In the football world you’d think of the defensive ends, the linebackers, the running backs, the left tackle, the guys that have the most contact on the football field would be the biggest, baddest guy in the boxing ring. Not true.

Here you are, you’re talking to a quarterback who usually takes all the damage and they always want to put a yellow jersey or a pink jersey on during practice and don’t touch the quarterback type of deal. The tables are turned and I’m actually the aggressor and I’m the knockout puncher now.

The guys in the football world believe that because they can hit somebody with their shoulder or they can make the big tackle that they can throw some gloves on and throw their lives in the ring. It’s a different story man.

And like Mike Tyson said it best. Everybody has a game plan so they get punched in the mouth.

Q

When you were quarterbacking at Northern Colorado, if you had gotten some feedback from

NFL people that you might have been a draftee in the top three rounds, would you have even entertained Mr. King’s offer to go into boxing?

D. Breazeale

No, not at all. Actually that was be the scenario. I was actually pursuing the NFL. Things didn’t pan out the way I wanted them to. And it turned out that Michael King was still there when the NFL door closed so that’s why I began to venture into the boxing world.

To tell you the truth, I actually started boxing to stay in shape for football camps but soon those doors closed and boxing was the only thing I had. And I’m grateful for it now. God’s put boxing into my life and it’s been a blessing in disguise.

Q

Did you ever doubt you would get back into the title picture and what does it mean now to get another chance at the heavyweight title?

D. Breazeale

Yes, going into depression sometimes and things like that. I’m a pretty positive, optimistic type of guy. My way of bouncing back from that title shot against Joshua was to study the film day in and day out.

I watched it round after round, minute after minute. I watched it in silence. I watched it with people. I watched it without people. And I guess I can say that the quarterback background in me kind of studying. And I wanted to see everything that I did wrong.

I didn’t want to see anything I did right because I understood there were things that were done right but there were a lot more things that were done wrong. I wanted to capitalize on my mistakes.

That’s what I did at the time. Me and my trainer Manny Robles went back to California and kind of restructured my boxing skills and they grew. And lucky enough that we were fortunate enough to have three big KO wins and here we are back again fighting for the world title.

I’m looking forward. I learned a lot more from that one loss than I learned from all my wins in my whole boxing career and amateur career. So that one lifetime experience in the summer of 2016 against Joshua was a lot bigger for my boxing career than anything could have been.

Q

Do you see the incident that happened with Wilder as motivation right now or do you want to get beyond that so you’ll be able to fight as clearly as possible when you face Wilder on the 18th?

D. Breazeale

It’s been the biggest motivational tool in this last camp. It’s the one thing that gets me up early in the morning to run. It’s the thing that gets me through the 10th and 11th and 12th round of sparring. It’s the idea of I want to achieve and stay focused.

It’s definitely been a huge motivator for camp. I think I’m going to close here pretty soon, the week of the fight. It’s more or less going to be the mental idea that I’m going into a heavyweight title fight to perform my best, to fulfill my best.

I’m not going to take any of that emotion or craziness into the fight because if you do that you’ve already lost the battle.

K. Swanson

Okay, great. That’s our last question for you Dominic. We really appreciate you taking the time as you finish up your training today to be on this call. Dominic, any last words?

D. Breazeale

Thank you Kelly. Thank you ladies and gentlemen. I appreciate you all having me. I’m looking forward to having an explosive firework night on May 18. The fight week is going to be great.

I’m feeling great. Looking forward to travelling and can’t wait to get started Saturday night.

K. Swanson

At this time, I want to introduce everybody to the WBC Heavyweight Champion of the World, none other than Deontay Wilder.

He is 40 and 0 with one draw and he has 39 knockouts. Representing his hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, he’ll be looking to make the ninth defense of his heavyweight title that he won back in January 2015.

In 2018 he had two of the most exciting and memorable fights of the year. He defeated then unbeaten Luis Ortiz in March knocking him out in the tenth round of a back and forth war.

Then in December he dropped Tyson Fury twice, including in the 12th round of their clash that eventually ended in a split draw. This Saturday, May 18 he will be defending his title for the fourth time at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and he has had knockouts in all three of his previous defenses there.

Also joining him on the line is Shelly Finkel, for any questions you might have for him. I’d like to introduce none other than the Heavyweight Champ of the World, Deontay Wilder to make his opening comments before we open it up to the press.

D. Wilder

Hello guys. How you guys doing? Thank you guys for coming along. What can I say that I haven’t already said? I’m excited about May 18. It’s been a long camp. It’s been a hard camp. It’s also been a fun camp. Very interesting as well too.

I broke myself back down to the basics and I’ve invested in myself more than I’ve ever done in my career thus far. It’s crazy this opponent has allowed me to break myself down and get back to the basics because I’ve already stated what I want to do.

I’m going to do what I said I was going to do just like I do all the time. With this particular fight I’m going to make sure I do it in the worst way possible.

That’s why I decided to break myself down and I decided to invest in myself so I make sure I do exactly what I said that I would do in intense fashion, in a painful way and on an elite level. So I’d like to welcome Breazeale to the elite level.

He’s never been in this level before. He thought he did with Joshua but Deontay Wilder is a whole different beast. I come with a whole different mindset. And we already know that I come with the right hand from hell.

Q

Can you maybe tell us some of the things that you did in camp that were different from before?

D. Wilder

Well like I said, I’ll start with a simple thing. I started back jump-roping. I started back doing a lot of speed bags, a lot of different things on the heavy bags.

Most of the time my camps, there’s sparring with the mitts and that’s through all of them. If you go into other camps you’ll see them hitting everything in the gym but not hard. I get away with so much because I know my true ability and my training. A lot of these guys, they only look for one particular thing and that’s the right hand. That’s where they go wrong because I have so many different attributes about myself.

I’m athletic. I’m agile. I’m mobile. I’m hostile. I’ve got the heart of a lion. I am a king. I’ve purchased a lot of different equipment to enhance my body and to perform, like a Jacuzzi and strength training equipment.

I’ve got the top of the line Jacuzzi for therapy, different things like that. My home, in my basement I attempted to put a full gym, a personal gym, a real nice one. And it’s been amazing. 24 hours of training.

I had got to the point where I had to stop training so hard. My doctor advised me not to train so hard because it always kept me up. I went off to the gym and then I’d come home. And then when you have a gym at the house it’s like and you’ve got a fight coming up, it’s non-stop thinking.

So if you’re thinking about the fight, your body is going to react and so you go downstairs and start working out or start hitting the bag or start doing a lot of things. I’ve got massage table here and I’ve got a lot of different things here that I never thought about doing before.

But now, like I said, I want to bring the pain. I want to do so much damage to this guy that he’s allowed me to invest in myself, something I should have done a long time ago. But it’s never too late for new things and for me it just relit my career.

It relit the interest in boxing. I’ve been through so much in this sport ups and downs. And it took all this time. It took this motivation right here. It’s paid off outside of the ring

Everything I say I mean. And I do what I say. And that’s what makes me who I am. I’m the realest champion in the business and that’s where I am at this point.

Q

Deontay, what convinced you to make these changes? Is there any one thing that made you do that or is it a combination of things?

D. Wilder

I owe it all to Breazeale. I owe it all to him.

Like I said, I’m coming to bring the pain. If you don’t understand that, you’ll see. My actions speak louder than my words. I’m not one of these guys that just talks just to hear myself talk or who’s cloud chasing or just to say some stuff, because I am who I am.

I don’t waste my time. I’ve always been like that. This hasn’t just started because I’ve gotten into boxing. I became a champion.

Anyone that’s grown with me, anyone that’s been around me will tell you when Deontay’s speaking and saying something, even my managers and my trainers, they all will tell you when this guy speaks he means it. He don’t say nothing just to say it. Like he really means it.

And the thing is that when I’m outside of this ring, a man comes to my city and starts chaos like that and then telling a bogus story, try to sell sympathy and wants people to show sympathy and remorse. I don’t like that.

I don’t like that at all. He’s like one of these guys that will come into your establishment and waste water on the floor and slip on it just to sue you. What goes around comes around.

This May 18, it will be my time. It’s punishment time. It’s judgement time. And I am the judge.

Q

You’ve long been a critic of the epidemic of PED’s in boxing. It obviously came to the forefront with this Jarrell Miller and Anthony Joshua situation. What went through your mind when you see a guy fail three tests?

D. Wilder

Where do I start with it? I’ve always told people about Jarrell Miller. I’ve always said certain things. I know a lot of things about a lot of fighters, because I know the people that I’ve fought.

Like they tell me, the doctors tell me. They’re not my friend. I’m just here for the business. And that sounds about right. I give out subliminal messages. I’m not a rat. I don’t go around and call names out and stuff. But I’ve been saying a lot of things.

One particular time I said something about Jarrell Miller. I said, you better stop doing this, this and this. Somebody put out the video before. Finally, when things happened, people were saying, hey Wilder’s been saying that.

Yes, I’ve been saying that. Why can’t you believe me in the first place? I’m one of these types of people that people don’t believe things I say happened, which is okay because it’s too late.

Another thing about the situation. There’s so many things you can say about the situation. I’m just tired of talking about it so I’ll leave it as this. I’m always talking about what can happen in the ring. This sport, you know, killing a man in the ring.

This boxing is so dangerous, so brutal. When you get these guys on these PEDs and stuff like that, this is what they’re going to do.

Like I’m natural. I’m natural so I feel like I have the right to speak my peace because I am the one that’s entering the ring. I am the one and my opponent’s the one that’s risking their life.

But when you’re getting guys that are doing PEDs and asking their bodies to do things they’re not supposed to do – no one really just criticizes. Even with the organizations, when is there going to be a time when somebody puts their foot down and shows somebody?

There’s so much stuff you can say with that man. Like I said, it is what it is. It’s a brutal sport that we’re in and I love it. I love it. I signed up so I’ve got to suffer the consequences and deal with everything that comes behind it and I’m here.

Q

Dominic said that he doesn’t think anybody would agree with me that you’ve become a pretty good world champion. What are your thoughts on that?

D. Wilder

I mean that was what every opponent I’ve faced has said. Every one of them. If it’s been ten years, then for ten years they’ve been spewing the same thing for ten years – what have I been doing?

I’m still here. I’m still a champion. It’s different when you get in the ring with me then. Any guy that has gotten in the ring with me or that gets in the ring with me – when I say gets in the ring I mean a sparring partner.

The guys that have gotten in the ring with me, being future opponents, they will tell you, this man is not what you think he is. But it’s good that people think that way.

People are simple minded, people like him think that way because when you enter into that ring and you feel that first blow, you know that you’re in for a fight. My mindset is different. My mindset is so big that a spaceship can fit in it.

I am here for the long run. This is not a short run for me. I’m here for a generational one. I’m betting on myself. I’m taking control of my career in my own hands because I am the talent. I know what I possess. A lot of these guys wish they had what I have. That’s just an easy way to cop out. For ten years this is what he’s been doing with his right hand.

We’re going to find out and it’s not going to be long now either. He’s going to find out. So he’s going to realize that he’s never been in a ring with a guy like myself. He’s fought for the world title before and it seemed like he didn’t belong there in the first place.

Now he’s in there with a real killer. A real one who speaks that speaks his peace and I mean what I say. Nobody’s going to stop me. I mean what I say and I say what I mean and come the 18th he’s going to find out.

This guy is very nervous. I know everything that he wants to do. I know it all. And he should be nervous because I don’t mean no good for him. All bad intentions. If you’re a first time viewer of boxing, I don’t know, it depends on how you feel about seeing a body on the ground or seeing blood on somebody. You’re going to be in for a treat.

I hope you stick around for the next one and the next one to come because I’m the most exciting heavyweight in the business, period. Period. There’s no one that’s more exciting that brings the pain and that brings the drama as I. And I can speak it.

A lot of you guys, you know who want to be kind and soft and want to be politically correct and want to talk tough. No, I’ll tell you what I feel in the moment of time. I feel the energy in the room. I feel the energy in myself and I release that.

I tell you how it is and when the time comes for me to display that I do that as well and I do it in a great fashion.

Q

Is there any kind of competition within you to want to show the boxing public or the fans that you Joshua and Fury are all fighting within a 30 day period roughly and you want to be the one to show as the best performance of those three to sort of let people continue to gauge you against each other?

D. Wilder

I never even thought about that. Nor will I think about it after this conversation because I know what I possess. I know who I am and as you can see, I’m the most exciting out of all of those guys.

These guys don’t bring the excitement that I bring. Tyson Fury’s the most boring one of all or of us. So I think I just continue to do what I do and do what I do best and that’s knock these guys out silly. I’m not in competition with none of them.

They’re great guys. They’re great fighters themselves and I expect them to be themselves. Don’t add no pressure onto it. Do what you all do. And Deontay Wilder’s going to do what he does.

Q

How do you explain to the public why those fights are not happening at the moment?

D. Wilder

Well it’s simple. If they took the time and took a deep breath and sat back and reflected on their past and what has happened there. I know we’re in the present right now and the future’s bright as well too.

But if you look back in the past and sit back and see what Deontay has already tried to do to him and his team has tried to do, let’s start out with Fury first. With Fury since Fury felt like everyone got that perspective of him beating me from the commentary.

When you get new people come in, they don’t know what they’re looking at. They don’t’ know what’s going on so they’re going to look for the so-called experts of the sport and listen to them.

So let’s start from there. They carry away with that. So if I’m a fighter and I’m thinking, hey, I beat his ass, my first reaction is, I want an immediate rematch. I feel like they got that wrong.

You want an immediate reaction rematch because you know the second rematch ain’t nothing. That’s going to be simple. It’s going to be easy.

So what we did – I said, hey, I know what I did. I whipped your ass. I was more aggressive. I want to understand, what was the main highlight of the fight the whole night? I think we all can answer that. It’s Fury being knocked on his ass and getting back up. That was the whole highlight of the whole fight.

So in essence, I’m saying, hey, I won so I want a rematch. As a champion instead of moving forward I want to give you this rematch because I want to bless you. So what did he do? So if you’re a guy that knows that you’re beating me with a wild margin, you immediately take that rematch.

You don’t run or get other fighters. You immediately take that. Fury knows. I gave him a concussion. When you get a man that doesn’t understand how he got on the ground nor how he got up, his brain has been shocked. He don’t want that fight no more.

He don’t want to get in no more. As as a fighter we must promote ourselves. We must carry this type of ego like I’m the man and I did this and that because we don’t want people to look on us as punks or somebody’s that scared.

Because you’re a fighter. You’re not supposed to be scared. Well we’re human beings as well too. So if he’s on his side he knows the real reason. That’s why he’s fighting another guy. That’s why he had the contract in his face for five days to a week.

Then ESPN came along and all of them. He didn’t want that fight or I wouldn’t have had to fight my mandatory. I would have gone straight to Fury and then with Breazeale.

With Joshua it’s easy. Four months we tried. Four different occasions. Maybe five different occasions. 12.5, 15 flat fee. He said, I want 50/50. We gave that to him. Well, no, my country deserves for me to fight here so I’m going to fight here.

So he didn’t want to fight on his own so they had to step in and make the fight and then they had to come back and apologize because they weren’t prepared for us. That’s what – four or five times we tried to make the fight? Now they cry because they don’t have nowhere to do.

Go back and study it. Go back and see, who really is the king of the division? Who really tried to make these fights? Then when you come back you’ll find yourself in a better place and you’ll come with peace with yourself.

Q

The PR people sent this out and I found it to be very interesting. The fight that you’re going to have against Breazeale is going to be your ninth title defense. You’re starting to edge into historical names on the list of heavyweights that have made that many defenses, if you’re successful against Breazeale.

Nin is how many defenses Muhammad Ali made the first time he was champion. It’s the number of title defenses that Mike Tyson made in his first famous title reign. And it’s the number of title defenses that Lennox Lewis made in his second championship reign which was obviously when he was at his very best.

What would it mean to you to sort of put yourself in that list of guys to get to the ninth title defense in the heavyweight division?

D. Wilder

It means a lot. I means a great deal to me. It means a lot to accomplish that. It means that I’ve proved so many people wrong and still to this day I’m proving people wrong.

It’s going to be a great accomplishment not only in the past – so many great fighters that came before me but to continue to go forward to be the number one guy. I’ve still got a long way to go to do what I want to do in this sport.

I will accomplish everything I set forth to do. I’m an amazing fighter. I’m an amazing talent and I’ve got an amazing team behind me. And with that combination man, the sky’s the limit.

Q

I feel like this fight is a little more personal to you than maybe some of your past fights, do you agree?

D. Wilder

Oh, most definitely. Oh man and that’s not a laugh of joy. That’s an evil laugh. In an evil scene, the evil man’s got to laugh. That’s my evil laugh.

I think this is the most excited I’ve been and the most I wanted to hurt a man since 2015 with Bermane Stiverne. And we all know what happened to him. And the second time was just playing around with him.

With this one right here, the story that comes behind it, people have got to understand when you’re dealing with Deontay Wilder, I’m passionate about what I say. I’m passionate about what I do.

Dominic Breazeale better display himself on that night, because I put him on my card. He didn’t have to be on my card. But you come to my hometown and cause this mess? And like I said before you want to start this drama and act like you were the victim and your wife was the victim? He’s an opportunist and I don’t’ like that.

So I needed this boost as a champion of the division, I needed this boost. Like I said, I never thought of investing in myself the way I’ve done. To be a champion and get away with so many different things, man it’s been crazy.

But now I’ve turned every stone over man. This is the most precise camp that I’ve ever had, in my entire life. I feel it tops all camps and I needed this re-ignition in my life. I needed this extra boost because I will do what I say I’m going to do and that night I’m damn well going to try. I guarantee you that.

Q

Was it frustrating for you to kind of have to reset yourself and now think about preparing for other opponents that are going to be wanting to fight you starting with Dominic Breazeale?

D. Wilder

No, it wasn’t. It wasn’t hard for me. You’ve got to look at what I’ve been through. I keep talking about the past. You’ve got to see what I’ve been through with different guys disappointing me.

Failing drug tests. Making me lose out on a lot of money. And stuff like that. So I understand the business of boxing and I know that if you have something in place one minute, the next minute it could be gone just like that.

Once you go through this cycle and you go through it over and over again, you try to get the understanding, a better understanding of fights and what’s to come. Nothing is guaranteed until you’re in that ring and that guy throws the first blow.

As we can see even when the bell rings, it doesn’t start until that first blow is thrown because we’ve got guys that will get out of the damn ring at the time the bell rings.

So things like that have prepared me. I understand as a fighter why he made that decision. I hurt Tyson Fury very badly. I gave him a crushing.

Like I said, the man had memory loss and that’s not healthy. That’s not healthy for you and as a man, as a man with a family, hey, if you need a warm-up, a tune-up to see if your marbles are back in place, go do that. Take as many more months as you need.

We understand. He said he got three more fights and then be out of here. We all know why he’s going to be out of here because one of those fights leads up to me. And I’m going to finish it. I’m going to finish the job.

So I understand it all. I have a guy there that can’t understand things. Even in everyday life there’s someone going through something. I try. My mind, like I said is so big and spacious so when you are describing something and telling me something I try to take my mind in a virtual reality and put myself in your position.

I try to look at every aspect possible and try to go and understand. So I understand why he made that decision. I understand it all. And it’s healthy that I want the best Fury when that time comes, just like I want with all these guys.

Because I don’t want no excuses. I’m the only fighter that can come in with damaged arms and body mashed and still knock you out because I am blessed. My grandma said I was anointed by God. And she was so right.

Q

I’m just wondering if you’ll talk about this topic of betting on yourself and what the plan is on your career to maximize the value you can get out of it?

D. Wilder

Yes, most definitely. Like I said, if anybody’s going to take my career, it’s going to be myself. I understand we used to have a promoter and what comes in the contract with having a promoter.

But when you get to a certain point and you know you’re the talent and they’re coming to see your talent. And if you have the opportunity, why not take a chance on yourself?

Why not bet on yourself and I have a smart team that educated me and guided me through. No matter what people say about certain people, I have a wonderful team.

Me and Shelly and Jay Deas, we started together. We’re going to end together. And when we brought Al along, even more it made me and my team strong.

So who I’m with now? It’s who I’m going to end with. And they guided me all the way through. They’re going to make sure that not only do I go in history but they go in history as well as a team and it’s a blessing to have such a strong team in a business that’s so dirty.

That’s why I bet on myself. I have everything established and set for myself. My own promotion. And we’re looking forward to doing great things.

We’re very serious in the promotion. I know a lot of guys, oh, I’ve got a promotion coming up. Well that sounds good but what do you really want to do with it? And I’m in it for the long run.

I think I have the talent and ability to display myself in a way that can bring excitement in a way I’ve already done but the next step is to cement outside of the ring.

I think I’m going to be able to promote fighters and be able to talk about them and not talk about myself and be able to really promote fighters and bring the next Deontay Wilder or the next whoever they want to be.

I always say, even as I tell my brother I don’t want you to be just like me. I want you to be better than me. I’m the type of person that even if you do better than me, I’m happy for you.

And a lot of people are not like that because some people you do get equal to them or higher than them. That’s when the jealousy and envy come. I’m not that type of person.

My heart is of gold. I’m a provider and protector. And I love to see people do great even if it’s better than I.

Shelly Finkel

Deontay is willing to take the risk both in taking low money and he’s willing to walk away. One of the most powerful words in the world is no and he is strong enough to say no and believe in himself that whatever he said no to now would be worth a lot more later.

So far that has proven through and I don’t see any reason it won’t be going forward. He’s a very, very strong human, not physically but mentally. And when you’re with him, you’re with him and he’s with you. There’s nothing better.

People have tried to break us up. His strength of who he is, means he knows who was there for him whether it be Jay or Al or myself. And that’s who he sticks with. I’m just very proud of him and proud to be part of his team.

K. Swanson

What I’d like to do is ask Deontay if he has final thoughts before we hang up. And we look forward to seeing you next week in Brooklyn for Fight Week. Deontay?

D. Wilder

May 18 is the time. I think everyone is being patient with this little thing that we have going on in the heavyweight division.

Just look at it and consider this – the excitement is back in the heavyweight division. The fire is lit. I’m more excited than I’ve ever been in my career because of everything that’s going on with it.

So I ask people just to be patient. And with patience comes time. And you’ve got to be able to even both out, patience and time, because they all work together.

You’re going to get the main fight that you guys want to see. The great thing about it is that we’re all still in discussion. I can understand if it was a closed door and we’re not having no discussion with nobody. Then it would be something that really would be a laid out or drawn out thing.

But everyone is still in discussion and talking and it’s just going to take a little time but I just tell people, the fans of boxing, people that’s coming in boxing, everyone just to have patience. The big fights are going to happen.

You know that when the big fights happen, you know that Deontay Wilder’s involved in it because most of these guys they live by the motto of less risk with high rewards.

But we know that I’ve taken high risks with low rewards. We’ve gotten smarter. We’ve proven ourselves. And we’re doing our own thing. Like I said, we’re betting on ourselves and when I bet on myself, you’re going to get great response.

You’re going to get great shows out of me. And I’m looking forward to May 18. So I’ll see you guys there and I’m looking forward to you guys. And I also want to announce my new clothing line. I got it coming out that will be sold online. You can look out for that. That way you can get your gear and are ready for May 18 and support me.