When a fight of great significance happens, the champion is usually ringside to watch the outcome but this Saturday WBC champion Deontay Wilder won’t be in England to see how the top of the division fares.
During a recent visit to The Breakfast Club Wilder explained why he won’t be ringside for Saturday’s heavyweight unification bout between IBF/WBA champion Anthony Joshua and WBO champion Joseph Parker. Originally scheduled to commentate action alongside the Sky Sports broadcast team, Wilder says he agreed to accept the assignment with one exception, the ability to enter the ring post-fight and face-off with the winner. Presumably Anthony Joshua.
Wilder says the network gave him the OK but the Joshua team wasn’t on board with the idea.
Couple days later I get a call from my manager saying it wasn’t going to happen (entering the ring post-fight). Joshua talking about upping the security, I heard about restraining orders, he doesn’t want to hype the fight.
He’s always manipulating the fans because he doesn’t want to fight me.
Wilder last saw action earlier this month when he defeated Luis Ortiz by technical knockout and has been calling for Joshua ever since. To see the full video, flip the page.