Deontay Wilder: I’m going to end Joshua’s career

By Boxing News - 11/16/2017 - Comments

Image: Deontay Wilder: I’m going to end Joshua’s career

By Tim Royner: Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs) says he’s ready to end the career of the popular British heavyweight Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) when he gets him in the ring. WBC heavyweight champion Wilder says IBF, WBA champ Joshua is trying to ride the gravy train by making easy title defenses against weak opposition. Wilder says he’s going to end Joshua’s career when he meets up with him in 2018.

The management for Wilder and Joshua are trying to put together a fight between them for 2018, but it’s too early to tell for sure if they’ll be able to make a deal. The purse split is the biggest hurdle that will need to be solved before Joshua and Wilder can face each other.

Joshua has been bringing in a lot of money for his fights against Carlos Takam, Wladimir Klitschko, Dominic Breazeale and Eric Molina. It no longer matters who Joshua fights. His boxing fans in the UK turn out to see him fight live in stadiums, and they purchase his fights in high numbers on Sky Box Office PPV.

”Joshua, let’s make this fight happen, man,” said Wilder to ESPN Sports Nation. ”I’m ready, I don’t know about you. Y’all had it easy. It’s been breezy for you. You’re ready to fight low opposition and get paid millions of dollars, and you don’t want that gravy train to end, but I am the man that’s going to end your career,” said Wilder.

Wilder wants a lot of money for the Joshua fight. Wilder’s recent 50-50 deal request stunned Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn, being as he’s not thinking of giving him that kind of a deal. Wilder has to come down considerably from that request for the Joshua fight to have a realistic chance of getting made.

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn wants Wilder to fight on the same card as him in March so that the two fighters can build up the fight to make it bigger. That’s one thing that Hearn will be trying to accomplish in the negotiations. He’d also like to see Wilder fight Dillian Whyte if possible. Hearn wants Wilder to be tested against a notable fighter. Wilder hasn’t faced enough quality fighters during his career to build his name up properly, according to Hearn. Fighting Whyte would give Wilder a good opportunity to add a name to his resume, and show the boxing fans that he has the talent to beat a good heavyweight.

Wilder’s career-ending prediction is a familiar one. He used that line in his recent fight with Bermane Stiverne, who he knocked out in the 1st round. Wilder has stopped 3 fighters during his career that haven’t fought since and those are these guys: Chris Arreola, Nicolai Firtha, and Audley Harrison. Arreola hasn’t fought since losing to Wilder by an 8th round knockout in July of 2016. However, Arreola isn’t retired, and likely continue fighting at some point. It’s been a while though since Arreola last saw action.