Deontay Wilder: ‘You all want to see the Muhammad Ali era again... so put your trust in me’

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John Dillon28 November 2018

Deontay Wilder understands why he is not yet considered a heavyweight great, but he says his critics will soon realise how special he is.

It is 15 years since the United States staged a major world heavyweight title fight, when Britain’s Lennox Lewis secured his final victory against Vitali Klitschko in June, 2003.

In the same Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday night, knockout king Wilder will defend his WBC belt against the flamboyant Tyson Fury.

The money men on the West Coast hope the fight will rekindle mainstream interest in the division Stateside.

Stephen Espinoza, president of fight broadcasters Showtime, said: “The heavyweight division is back in focus, it’s back in popularity. This is the reinvigoration of the division that once was the bread and butter of the sport.”

Well, sort of, yes. But this cannot come anywhere near matching the historic resonance of the old-time heavyweight eras of men like Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson and, perhaps, even London’s own Lewis.

Fury and Wilder meet in LA on Saturday,
Getty Images

But Wilder knows that the arrival in California of the former four-belt world champion Fury may allow him to seize a place in the limelight which has swept by him in his homeland, despite his 39 knockouts in 40 fights.

“When I became the heavyweight champion, many people doubted me,” he said. “It wasn’t on anybody’s minds that I would be the next great thing. I had to show them.

“The more fights I have and the more I’m able to display my talent to the world, the sooner everyone will realise that I am special.

“You all want to see the Ali era and the golden days.

“Put your trust in Deontay. I’m here — I’ve been here for a long time. Many people will look at me as an overnight success, but this has been an over 10-year overnight success for me. This is my moment.”

In Pictures | Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury build-up | 29/11/18

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Before he claims his place in the headlines, Wilder, 33, has to deal with the fleet-footed style of the 30-year-old Fury, who is also unbeaten.

The fascination in LA is the collision of Wilder’s loose and athletic raw power with the 6ft 9in Englishman’s elusiveness. Wilder has been warned about how Fury’s approach confused Wladimir Klitschko on this day in 2015.

However, the American insisted: “I’ve never been by the textbook, but I love my style. It will always remain the same because nobody can understand it.

“No one could figure me out and that what’s it all about. They’re dealing with a fighter who is awkward and doesn’t go by the manual.

“No one who he could bring into camp can be a reflection of me. They can have tall guys, strong guys, fast guys. They can have a guy with a great jab. But it will never be a full, complete Deontay Wilder — ever.

Wilder wants to join the great American heavyweights.
Getty Images

“I don’t care what type of skill level Fury thinks he has. It doesn’t matter. When you get in the ring, all of that goes out the window. I know what I’m going to do. I know what I’m capable of doing. Every fighter I’ve faced outweighed me. When you possess my power, you don’t worry about a lot of things — and I’ve got the most dangerous killer instinct in the boxing game.

“No one has a mindset like me. I don’t care how well he moves, I’m 40 and 0 with 39 KOs.

“I’m one of the most experienced heavyweights. I’ve been to different countries. I’ve fought different styles. Do I need to say more?”

Another Showtime executive, Tom Brown, certainly wants to say more about Saturday’s clash, describing it as “the most significant heavyweight fight in the US since Lennox Lewis against Mike Tyson in 2002”.

After Lewis beat Klitschko, he retired as the last undisputed heavyweight champion. By contrast, when Wilder beat Bermane Stiverne to claim the WBC belt in 2015, he was the first US-raised heavyweight champion since Shannon Briggs in 2007. Now, as he prepares for the eighth defence of his title, he is determined to make a lasting impression on his country’s boxing fans.

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