The Deontay Wilder Strategy: Call Out Everybody, Fight Nobodies

After beating Bermane Stiverne Deontay Wilder called out Anthony Joshua live on TV.

"I know I am the best. Are you up for the test?" asked Wilder of WBA and IBF heavyweight champion Joshua.

"I've been waiting on that fight for a long time now. I want you next! I declare war upon you. Do you accept my challenge?"

Eddie Hearn confirmed he was due to fly to the New York in the following weeks to meet with Haymon and Shelly Finkel to discuss the fight.

In the meantime Deontay Wilder stepped up his PR campaign and appeared on many media outlets and interviews where he called out AJ, acusing him of ducking and even acusing him of juicing.

Wilder also opened up to the idea of fighting Dillian Whyte as long is Anthony Joshua was also in the contract.

"You want Whyte and I want Joshua," said Wilder. "Put them in a package and let me fight.

"I will knock out Whyte easy. I could do it with one hand tied behind my back. I'll come whoop them both in the UK and demolish everything Anthony Joshua has built"

After the meeting was held by Hearn and Wilder's team, both sides described the meeting as very "POSITIVE" and they felt confident they can make the for 2018.

Hearn was initially reluctant to add Anthony Joshua to the contract for the winner of Wilder vs Whyte but he had opened up to the idea. He confirmed he offered Deontay Wilder 4million to face Dillian Whyte with a guarantee Anthony Joshua will face the winner next.

Deontay Wilder then refused to fight Dillian Whyte regardless if AJ is in the contract.

"I want the king! Dillian Whyte is just a road block, he's a peasant. It's not about money for me. I fight for legacy and I will unify, I promise you that! One champion, one face, one name. Deontay Wilder!

I want Joshua. Joshua come and see me baby. No more dodging, no more excuses. Make the date, don't wait.".

Eddie Hearn and Barry Hearn go on to hold a couple of more meetings with Wilder's team and they confirm team Wilder is demanding 50 - 50 split and not willing to budge, ultimately putting a halt to negotiations.

As talks got serious and the fight looked close to becoming reality, Deontay Wilder came out and officially priced himself out.

"It is a great fight, it is one of the biggest fights in the world and everyone wants it. It will be 50-50 or else we don't see a fight."

As negotiations progressed Deontay Wilder started to change his tone regarding Anthony Joshua fight. He went from demanding the AJ fight next and promising to unify the division.. To now claiming he isn't chasing AJ.

"We're not going to chase anybody. I'm not chasing Joshua. If Joshua [doesn't] want to fight, then that's fine".

"In America we have a lot of up and coming guys – we have a lot of current guys right now – so I don’t want people to think that Joshua was my only option nor am I Joshua’s only option," Wilder said.

"Like I said we are kings of the division, we have options. We need each other but we don’t need each other.

"We need each other to make the most massive heavyweight title fight in the history of time.

"But if he don’t want to fight then we can still go on with our lives and we can still do what we do.

Just a month ago Deontay Wilder was all over the media calling out AJ. Taking shots at Joshua by saying stuff like" Do you squat when you ****".

As soon as negotiations looked like they were going well, he priced himself out and has since shown no interest to fight Joshua. Notice how in his latest interview quote below, Anthony Joshua's name is nowhere to be found?.

"We have a lot of fighters. We have a lot of guys coming back. You got Luis Ortiz and Alexander Povetkin.

"Hey, they back, why not? I would love to get back in the ring and mix it up with those guys. I can't wait for 2018"

 

These are quotes taken directly form the Wilder's interviews from November and early December.. It's plain to see Wilder is only using AJ's name for publicity with no real intention to actually fight. Just watch! As soon as Parker vs AJ is confirmed.. Wilder will come out of the woodworks and call out AJ again.

I reckon after Eddie Hearn, Haymon and Shelly Finkel had thier meeting, Shelly Finkel called Wilder to give him the good news.. I assume the call went something like this.

Shelly: Hello Deontay! I just had the meeting with Eddie, we're getting closer.. We can make the fight for summer 2018.

Wilder: Shiiiiit mayne.. What the fckkk y'all doing? You know I was juz playing! Hold that sh!it back for another 2 years dammit, I'm just tryna make waves. Tell Hearns I want fiddy percent or no fight and get me that Breazeale fight instead.