Deontay Wilder’s decision not to take his shot at a WBC final eliminator fight may have worked against him.
According to reports, Wilder turned down the opportunity to fight Andy Ruiz Jr. even though a win would have made him mandatory to face Tyson Fury.
However, the decision was taken in order to pursue a fight with the three other mega-heavyweights as part of a reported four-man tournament in Saudi Arabia.
Wilder appeared on course to fight Anthony Joshua, with both sides making it clear that they were willing to face each other.
"If rumours are circulating there might be some truth behind it" 👀
Anthony Joshua welcomes a potential blockbuster battle against Deontay Wilder, with reports even suggesting that Tyson Fury could even face Oleksandr Usyk on the same night in December 🍿 pic.twitter.com/HaAdD0JDLw
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 21, 2023
While that may have been the case, it appears that the three other big heavyweights, Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Oleksandr Usyk, are now locked in talks with other fighters.
Joshua and Fury could face each other after the latter’s latest proposal of a 60-40 split. Meanwhile, Usyk is set to face his WBA mandatory, Daniel Dubois, after his team won the purse bid.
With that being said, Wilder has now been out of the ring for eight months since his first-round knockout of Robert Helenius.
As such, Wilder’s trainer, Malik Scott, has made it clear that his fighter’s position will become very clear soon.
Deontay Wilder Will Make Make Decision on Next Fight in Coming Weeks, Says Trainer https://t.co/da1pnDHFdp pic.twitter.com/LOSkmSn01p
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) May 29, 2023
“There’s no telling if Deontay will fight between now and December. Absolutely I would like to fight between now and December.
“That’s no secret at all. Andy Ruiz is right there in the mix. Anything can happen. We’re one move away from making very crucial decisions for the better of Deontay’s career.
“We won’t be waiting until the end of summer to get this signed. I promise you that. We will definitely know before July,” Scott