America’s WBC heavyweight champion, Deontay Wilder (35-0, 34ko), has attempted to deflect the negative attention surrounding him after another performance that fell well short of elite championship level – by ludicrously linking himself to a future fight with dominant divisional boss, Wladimir Klitschko.
Wilder was again sub-par at the weekend, making hard work of the little known Johann Duhaupas, eventually securing an 11th round stoppage after finding that the chin of the durable Frenchman repeatedly stood up to his best shots until the “Reptile” was [prematurely] stopped on his feet as he backed onto the ropes.
Wilder must now turn his attention to defending the green belt against his mandatory challenger – aggressive Russian, Alexander Povetkin, yet speaking after Saturday’s fight the Alabama native appeared to refer to that particularly dangerous fight as something that merely needs getting “out the way” as he goes in pursuit of the undisputed championship.
“Hopefully, sometime end of next year,” Wilder said regarding a fight with the long-time Ukrainian champion. “We got to get these mandatories out of the way [first].
“People gotta understand. They got to stay patient. This is a process and a business. But as long as I keep winning, which I will, and he [Wladimir] keeps winning, that should come around real soon and we can have an undisputed heavyweight champ of the world – which is me, baby.”
Klitschko will first have to defend his belt against British challenger Tyson Fury, with a revised November date being touted after a minor calf-strain suffered by the champion moved the initial October date back.
Former Olympic gold medalist Povetkin, first takes on former Klitschko opponent Mariusz Wach in Russia on November 4th before initial talks open with the Wilder team next month for the January defence.
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