By Scott Gilfoid: Oscar De La Hoya wants to step the talented unbeaten heavyweight prospect up against some excellent fighters in 2013 to see how Wilder reacts. De La Hoya wants to see if Wilder can handle the adversity of being in the ring with someone that is trying to take his head off in the same way the he’s trying to take there, but most of all De La Hoya wants to see whether Wilder has the talent to become a world champion someday. The best way to do that is to put him in with a top 15 contender to see how he reacts.
De La Hoya said to RingTV “It’s time for him [Wilder] to have a taste of hostile territory. It’s time for him to step it up, which we’re going to do. We have to take him out of his element. Deontay needs to be in there with a guy that’s going to push him back.”