Ahead of his ninth world title defense, Deontay Wilder has given his verdict as to why the rematch with Tyson Fury hasn’t materialized.
After Wilder’s split-draw with Fury in December, it was expected that the pair would re-engage in another heavyweight classic straight away. However, that soon changed after the latter announced a five-fight deal with ESPN before choosing Tom Schwartz as his next opponent.
“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,” Wilder said.
“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.”
The ‘Bronze Bomber’ knocked Fury to the canvas on two occasions, including the final round where Fury famously beat the 10-count.
While the 32-year-old is adamant on who won their encounter, Wilder also has doubts over Fury’s ambition of signing a rematch.
“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. And 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 anymore.
“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.”
JOSHUA
Another fight which has failed to fruition is the showdown between himself and unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
As WBN previously reported in a world exclusive, Joshua’s team rejected an offer to fight Wilder last year before ongoing talks led to negotiations eventually collapsing.
‘AJ’ is now aiming to take his superstar status across the Atlantic as he goes up against late-replacement Andy Ruiz Jr. at Madison Square Garden.
“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.”
