Deontay Wilder: Enough is Enough

Deontay Wilder: Enough is Enough

By Dean Wigzell

There are a lot of subjects within boxing that are a real source of frustration for me at the moment, but none more so than Deontay Wilder.

With rumours gathering speed that he is set to turn down a $100 million offer from broadcaster DAZN, and in the process all but ending the chances of him taking on WBA, IBF and WBO champion Anthony Joshua and quite possibly Tyson Fury, you can’t help but the question is, who will he actually fight?

When you listen to him talk, you’d be forgiven for believing the man could move mountains, such is the confidence, arrogance or self-belief depending on your particular view-point.

However for all of the machismo and braggadociousness that comes with the ‘Bronze Bomber’ he seems incredibly incapable of backing himself when it really matters.

Let’s be honest, he took the now infamous Fury fight based on his belief that Fury was no longer up to it and he got brutally exposed as a result, despite what the judges saw.

Until that fight, Wilder’s opponents have been largely underwhelming to say the least and the WBC have played a huge role in that as they facilitate this farcical reign as their heavyweight champion.

The way in which both parties have swatted the dangerous Dillian Whyte aside to ensure that Wilder gets a shot at another Joshua victim, unsurprisingly a very beatable one, in Dominic Breazeale has been nothing short of disgraceful.

Whyte’s promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that legal action against the WBC is being pursued, but it will not prevent the Breazeale fight from happening.

Wilder accused Fury of running away from a rematch when the former signed a mega deal with broadcaster ESPN and when Joshua’s broadcaster offered Wilder the chance to take his anger out on a 3-fight deal, which included two big pay days against Joshua here was his chance to silence all the doubters.

This offer was Wilder’s chance to prove that does have the minerals to back all of the talk and chase a true legacy in the division, but alas it would seem that it was merely yet more talk and Wilder’s interests lay elsewhere.

With Fury and Joshua being tied to broadcast deals on different platforms, and Wilder’s deal with Showtime expiring he was handed the keys to the division. Instead of opening the doors to those big fights, it would seem he has chosen to lock the door and throw away the key for the benefit of nobody but himself.