Deontay Wilder offers Tyson Fury incentive after Wladimir Klitschko rematch
Deontay Wilder has told Tyson Fury he is prepared to fight him in England and unify their heavyweight belts if the Briton wins his rematch bout with Wladimir Klitschko.
Undefeated WBC champion Wilder was confronted in the ring by Fury after taking his record to 36-0 with victory over Artur Szpilka in Brooklyn last month.
Fury has to meet Klitschko again after the Ukrainian invoked his rematch clause having lost his WBA, IBF and WBO belts in November, but Wilder has his sights set on facing whoever emerges victorious from that contest after his mandatory clash with Alexander Povetkin, possibly in April.
And the 30-year-old would be willing to venture on to Fury’s own patch to make it happen.
“When he got in the ring I told him I’ll come to his backyard and I mean that,” he said in an appearance at Super Bowl 50’s Radio Row in San Francisco.
“I’m willing to come over there. If he wins, I’m willing to come over there to take the titles. I’m very comfortable with England – I’ve got a lot of friends, a ton of fans.
“I feel that when they say heavyweight champion of the world – that’s a world traveller, not just in your home country. When my legacy’s over and done, I want to be labelled as someone who went behind enemy lines, fought everybody and had great exciting fights every time I came back.”
Wilder insists he was unperturbed by Fury’s antics last month and believes it could help hype up the heavyweight ranks once again.
“A lot of people didn’t like – a lot of media have been asking me, ’Was it disrespectful that he did it’,” he added.
“I’m laid back, I’m easy going, I’m all about unifying the heavyweight division, bringing the excitement back. It wasn’t disrespectful to me, I knew what he was doing. It was entertaining for boxing and excitement for the fans, but I do find it was disrespectful for my opponent.”
Wilder has recorded a knock-out win in 35 of his 36 bouts and has his sights set on taking the IBF title off Charles Martin if Fury and Klitschko continues to dither over a date.
However, the ultimate goal remains a unification of the belts, which he believes will help restore the heavyweight division’s prestige.
“I’m looking to do remarkable things in boxing, looking to bring it back like it once was, even better,” Wilder said.
“I think I can do it, I can see it happening, feel it happening as I’ve described it. I will make it happen, I will be remembered as the man who brought boxing back single handedly.”
