Deontay Wilder is arguably the most dominant heavyweight in the sport of boxing today, but he may be trying to avoid mandatory heavyweight title challenger Luis Ortiz.
Wilder currently reigns as the WBC heavyweight champion of the world and was previously scheduled to defend his title against Ortiz in New York, but that all fell through after Ortiz failed a drug test and tested positive for a dietary supplement.
The particular supplement is usually used to mask performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). The fight is currently on ice at the moment and Wilder is left without a dance partner for November 4th.
Since the testing fiasco, Wilder has claimed that he still wants to face off against Ortiz despite the failed drug test, but that's a claim that fellow top heavyweight contender Jarrell Miller isn't buying. Miller recently spoke on the matter before a press conference this past Tuesday and completely tore into Wilder.
Miller claimed that Wilder is scared of fighting Ortiz and is only acting when he says he still wants to fight him (quotes via Boxing Scene):
“Deontay’s definitely scared of Ortiz, just the way he acts,” Miller said. “But most of his team is more afraid for Deontay than Deontay’s afraid for himself.
"Most definitely, because the team knows how much money they’ve put behind him already, and they’re starting to get those benefits back.
"But they know that their biggest payday is with AJ right now, so they’d rather hold out and get that fight.
“I would still take the fight,” Miller said. “I’ll tell you the reason why, and y’all might think it’s a conspiracy [theory], but I tell you how it is and how I feel. Ortiz doesn’t look no way how he looked two, three years ago, if you look at his body and how he performed.
"Number one is, he signed up for that WBC drug program, so he’s been on that for months already, leading up to this fight. He’s been on blood pressure pills for longer than whatever this fight duration is.
"So they been knew about them pills or whatever he was on. But they use it a month out to deteriorate the fight and put less of an opponent in there, so Deontay can look good, get the win and then move on to a bigger payday with A.J. So for me, it’s a conspiracy.
“Usually, when something comes to my head first, that’s why it came to my head and that’s how I feel. So people can say what they want, but I already know how some of these people [are] with money, and their agenda is to put it in the media.
"But for me, that’s how I feel and that’s how I see it. Because they Ortiz is gonna give [Wilder] a problem. I think if Deontay stuck to his game plan, he might’ve still come out the winner. But like I said, they know how limited he is."
What are your thoughts on Miller's comments in which he suggests that Wilder is scared of fighting Ortiz? Do you think Wilder is trying to avoid stepping into the squared circle with Ortiz? Or is Miller simply trying to get under Wilder's skin in order to hype up a potential meeting with the heavyweight champ down the line? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
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