Deontay Wilder makes demands to step aside for Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua

Deontay Wilder reportedly wants a huge payout – likely to the tune of $10million (£8.1m) – and a guarantee he will face the winner of Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua in order to step aside from his third fight with Fury. Wilder was overwhelmed by Fury in Las Vegas in their second fight but a clause in their contract ensured a third bout was on the table for the previously undefeated heavyweight champion. The result meant Fury – who is yet to suffer a professional loss – and Joshua – who avenged his only defeat to Andy Ruiz – hold all the heavyweight belts. An all-British unification bout has been the talk of the town ever since but Wilder and Kubrat Pulev – who was scheduled to fight Joshua in June before the coronavirus pandemic brought the sporting world to a grinding halt – need to step aside before the fight can get ahead. Pulev has previously admitted he would entertain a step-aside offer in order to make that happen and, according to The Athletic, Wilder will also be willing to consider a proposal. But he wants a record $10m and the chance to fight the winner of Joshua and Fury’s mega-money bout.

One manager told The Athletic that Wilder would be ‘stupid’ to not accept that deal if it is put on the table. ‘Deontay would have to get the (Fury-Joshua) winner guaranteed in the deal, but if he can swing that, he’d actually be stupid to not take the $10 million to not fight,’ the unnamed source said. ‘That’d be a record step-aside fee, by far. I’d take that deal so fast and go fight a hopeless guy like Travis Kauffman.’

However, another executive in the sport questioned whether that would cross Wilder’s mind. ‘He’s thinking, “I had an off night and while you all may think the guy was out-boxing me, I’ve got dynamite in both hands and I’m going to knock his f***ing ass out. And then the title comes back to me.” That’s my feeling if I’m Deontay Wilder, real fighter,’ the executive, also unnamed, said. ‘I think Wilder’s the second-best heavyweight in the world over Joshua, anyway. He’d beat Joshua. His legacy is as a great puncher. He had Fury down twice in the previous fight.

‘So if I’m Deontay Wilder, I go with my strength, and his strength is, “Get me in the ring with the guy and let me land my right hand.” ‘Because of that right hand, most of you (writers) picked him in the second fight. You were wrong maybe because he had an off night, but he still has the ability to do it. ‘Guys with power… they know what they have. He had one night where the other guy fought him perfectly, but if I was him, I’d say, “F*** it, get the guy back in the ring”.