By Charles Brun: Deontay Wilder is reportedly frustrated with the money being offered by PBC for a clash against former IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz. As a result, the team of Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) is discussing a potential fight with Francis Ngannou next.
Mike Coppinger says “frustration” on Wilder’s part from the money PBC is offering for him to face the 33-year-old Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs). It’s unknown what kind of money Wilder hopes to get for fighting Ruiz, but it’s safe to say that if he was counting on getting in the $20 million range, he’s dreaming because he’s not one of the British heavyweights who get untold riches for their fights in England.
To get the kind of money guys like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua typically are given for fighting the likes of Derek Chisora and Jermaine Franklin, Wilder would need to fight high-caliber opposition. The chubby Andy Ruiz Jr doesn’t fit that category and never did.
Having gotten used to making massive money fighting Tyson Fury, it’s got to be a shock to former WBC champion Wilder to get offered smaller dough for a fight against the once-popular Ruiz.
It’s unrealistic for Wilder to be getting huge money for Ruiz because he’s arguably not taken his career seriously since his two fights with Anthony Joshua in 2019.
If they’re counting on Wilder taking a small guarantee offer with the possibility of earning more based on the upside, it’s unlikely he will agree to that deal because Ruiz Jr isn’t a big star.
Ruiz has done nothing other than fight a couple of 40+ past their prime heavyweights since losing his three titles to Anthony Joshua in their rematch in December 2019.
Whatever popularity Ruiz once had, he’s frittered it away by getting fat, losing his titles, being inactive, and fighting exclusively old guys in their 40s.
One positive that could come out of Wilder fighting Ngannou, who has never boxed before, is it would take away the possibility of Tyson Fury fighting the former UFC heavyweight champion.
It’s believed that the reason Fury is dragging his feet on the negotiations with IBF, WBA & WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk is that he knows he’s got an easy fight that he can make easy money against in Francis Ngannou.
If Wilder fights Ngannou, that takes away Fury’s plan-B alternative, putting him in the unenviable position where he would need to back up his tough talk about fighting Joe Joyce if his negotiations with Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) go up in smoke.
