By Charles Brun: Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder says he will give Saudi Arabia its “first knockout victim” in his expected clash against Great Britain’s Anthony Joshua in December in Saudi Arabia.
With Joshua’s history of having issues with his ability to take a good punch without taking a nosedive on the canvas, there’s a real potential of him getting knocked out in a lightning-fast fashion against the 6’7″ Deontay (43-2-1, 42 KOs), who arguably should still be undefeated after his three controversial fights with Tyson Fury.
Joshua vs. Wilder and Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk is planned to fight on the same night in a mega-heavyweight card in Saudi Arabia this December.
According to Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn, the purses for the four fighters will total $400 million, which is an insane amount of money. The downside of these four dividing that kind of booty is there could be problems if they start squabbling over the loot, with one of them, possibly Fury, choosing to obstinate and refuse to take part unless he gets the majority of the take.
Deontay Wilder: “Let’s make it happen. I’m just going to keep it sweet. I’m going to give Saudi their first knockout victim. I can deliver that for you,” said Deontay Wilder to ESNEWS when about him fighting Anthony Joshua in December in Saudi Arabia.
“I’m going to bless him real good. Any Wilder fight, you can expect that, but this one’s going to be real special. I’ve got something special that I’m going to put on the punch with this one.”
Malik Scott: “Under this man,” said Scott while holding up three fingers about how long the fight with Anthony Joshua would last. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he won.”
Wilder: “It wouldn’t be a surprise.”
Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) has lost two out of his last three fights, and he looked at an all-time worse in his comeback clash against second-tier heavyweight Jermaine Franklin on April 1st.
The aggressiveness and combination punching that Joshua was known for earlier in his career when he first turned pro in 2013 were absent against the light-hitting Franklin, and he looked like a lost soul inside the ring, trying to find himself.
Unless Joshua can bring back that fierce style that he once had a decade ago, he’s going to wind up as food for Deontay and will be a big example of what happens when you tangle the hardest hitter in the division.
