Who ducked Deontay Wilder?

"Wilder is unlucky that he's too high risk atm that the reward isn't worth it for a lot of the top fighters. Why would you get ktfo by Wilder when you can get ktfo by AJ for 10x as much!" - @james5000, June 2017

This is a major reason why Martin, Wlad and Parker went for Joshua instead: more reward for the risk. They also didn't see Wilder as an easy target or they'd have pursued him to get the WBC belt before starting negotiations with Joshua on a much stronger footing.

Glazkov was offered a fight with Wilder but fought Martin for the vacant IBF instead:

https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/glazkov-passes-on-wilder-wants-vacant-ibf-shot/50353

Hughie was twice offered a title shot against Wilder but went in a different direction, fighting Parker in September 2017:

https://www.espn.co.uk/boxing/story...orld-heavyweight-championship-says-peter-fury

"I'm ready for the big fights. Wilder wants it 25th Feb I'm happy please make this fight" - Hughie Fury, December 2016

Bellew and Haye avoided Wilder:

Bellew: "Why didn't he (Haye) make the Deontay Wilder fight? Because he doesn't fancy it. It's a big big risk and the reward ain't big enough, which is why he calls out Anthony Joshua's name. Why did you choose me in 2017 over Wilder for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world?"

Haye: "The Wilder fight isn't a big fight. Me fighting you is a bigger fight. The winner of our fight can go on to challenge the best in the division."

Bellew: "You versus me was a much lesser fight. I ain't fighting Deontay Wilder."

Yet Bellew was happy to drop back down to cruiserweight to fight Usyk.

From 16:16

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Haye later admitted that Wilder hurt him badly multiple times in sparring back in 2013:

Haye: "I’ve sparred with Wilder, I’ve felt it. I know. His power is phenomenal. Even in 20-ounce gloves in the gym, he stuns everyone he spars with. He stunned me often. My haymaker is a hell of a right hand and I think I buzzed him once or twice. But nothing like he buzzed me. It’s scary what he can do to opponents in fights wearing 10-ounce gloves. For sure, he is the biggest puncher ever." - 2020

Eddie Hearn admitted that Wilder was extremely dangerous and that it made more sense to "keep working on the easy stuff" rather than take a big risk with Wilder:

"Wilder is a massive high risk fight and it’s the biggest fight in British boxing. Yes, Joshua wants greatness, but it is also a business. I wouldn’t expect you to take a job that was much harder and much more risk for a similar kind of money. You would just keep working on the easy stuff. This is a massive job - the biggest job out there - but what’s the money? It’s just a little bit more than you’re on at the moment. He is not worth 60/40 - nowhere near. I’m sorry but that’s the reality. Maybe Josh will pay over time, but I don’t think he should. This is the biggest fight of his career and maybe the biggest fight of his career forever.” - Eddie Hearn, April 2018

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/box...e-Hearn-Deontay-Wilder-Boxing-news-Fight-Hype

Joshua said that he needed to "plan out his career", "wait for the right time" and "work on a few things" before he took a fight that dangerous. He also said that he didn't want to fight Wilder in America:

"I’ve got a career I need to map it out, I’m going to take fights at the right time for me and if it’s next year (2018) or the year after (2019) or the year after (2020) when I fight him (Wilder) I’ll be in a position to beat him. I started boxing 2008, Wilder turned pro 2009, so he’s been a pro one year longer than my whole career. So you can see why they’re rushing him for certain reasons and you can see why I’m taking my time for certain reasons. As I say the fighter on my shoulder says let’s rock and roll, the coach on my shoulder says ‘you know what Josh, you need to just work on a few more things before you take a fight like that. Because when it’s all said and done, all that matters is that win, not the fact that people say ‘he didn’t fight him here and he didn’t fight him there’. - Anthony Joshua, October 2017

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/4620257/anthony-joshua-vs-kubrat-pulev-deontay-wilder-wembley/

"That's why I don't want to travel to America, not just for the sake of it, because it limits a lot of people from being able to come and watch me." - Anthony Joshua, January 2018

https://www.espn.co.uk/boxing/story...ed-states-eyes-deontay-wilder-wembley-stadium

"If he (Wilder) was serious about the fight, we'd do serious negotiation. If not, stop hooting and hollering because we'll just freeze him out." - Anthony Joshua, March 2018

https://www.france24.com/en/20180321-joshua-tells-heavyweight-rival-wilder-stop-fantasy

"Wilder is deserving of 40% regardless of the pot. You and the rest of the Wilder haters don't seem to realize how big this fight is for both men.
All 4 belts , undisputed , Ring belt and possibly lineal title too. Winner makes history , winner creates a legacy in the history books. This isn't no chump challenger , this is serious business and its not something that you take lightly , as in putting out ridiculous statements like - im going to freeze you out of this cos i don't like the tone of your voice .. or - i'll go off and play with my own toys..

Those are the words of a man who doesn't sound confidant about a fight with Wilder. A business brain will understand the risk may not be worth the reward. A guy like Joshua getting layed out by Wilder could shatter his confidence and ruin his career. Forum promoters may not rate Wilder , but people in the business take him very seriously" - @dinovelvet, March 2018

Did Ruiz price himself out of the Wilder fight? The Fury and Zhang camps claimed that he did the same in their negotiations. If Ruiz (who was inactive and had been in questionable form) were confident of beating Wilder he wouldn't have demanded mega money.

"I’ll fight him (Wilder) for $10 million" - Andy Ruiz, 2023

https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/andy-ruiz-jr-wants-10-million-for-deontay-wilder-fight/267901

Ruiz was paid just $900,000 for his subsequent 2024 fight with Jarrell Miller, which he drew and most thought he lost.

 

In denial.

Hearn in 2018: "Wilder is a massive high risk fight (for Joshua), too much risk right now for the reward"

 

The quotes are there in black and white. If the truth offends you then that's your problem son.

 

He avoided the heavyweight division until the 2020's for whatever reason and pursued Joshua as soon as he moved up (which made sense given his WBO mandatory status on arrival at heavyweight).

 

Back to work son.