There is a suggestion that Deontay Wilder will no longer attend Anthony Joshua’s fight against Joseph Parker on Saturday night.
Wilder was expected to join Sky Sports’ commentary team but rumours are surfacing that the American won’t be present after all.
It would be a shame if the WBC heavyweight champion and perhaps the greatest threat to Joshua wasn’t ringside. Indeed, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn slammed Wilder after hearing the rumour.
“Are you a joke?,” Hearn said to iFL TV.
“You’ve got the entire world media in Cardiff. You’ve got a situation, you’ve got Dillian Whyte ringside, you’ve got Joshua’s… something’s bound to happen with Deontay Wilder after the fight.
“To build the fight to astronomical levels and you want to sit on your a**e for a so called fight that you want so bad? Don’t give me that bulls**t, all you’re doing is using Anthony Joshua’s name.”
Scathing from Hearn.
Joshua has a message for Wilder
The matter was put to Joshua when he spoke to iFL TV and he had a stern message for Wilder.
The reigning IBF, WBA (Super) and IBO champion reminded Wilder that a meeting with Joshua inside the ring after Saturday’s fight isn’t a guarantee.
“It doesn’t change the outcome [if Wilder is present or not],” Joshua said. “[Tyson] Fury could be there. We’ve had some great names at the fights.
“I don’t mind if Wilder comes. You know me better than that to be rattled or angry or any sort of emotion because someone’s at the right. It doesn’t bother me.
“Not saying that he wasn’t going to get in, but you don’t dictate to me and tell me, ‘I’m getting in the ring after the fight’, that’s not how it goes mate.
“I’ll tell you, I’ll invite you in the ring after the fight. This ain’t a script. This ain’t an act. We’re not gonna, ‘ah what we’re gonna do is get you in the ring’, no, no no.
“It’s not an act mate, it’s a business.”
“Ultimately, I have to win. It’s a shame because with all due respect you can’t overlook Parker.”
When asked if he could understand why Wilder wouldn’t want to attend his bout, the Brit replied: “Definitely not. Definitely not.”
He added: “The only thing I’ll say with not getting in the ring, in my opinion is that you don’t dictate to me that you’re getting in my ring. I invite you in, that’s the difference.
“Don’t tell me that I’m getting in the ring after the fight. I’ve got to win it, number one, and number two, I’ll call you into the ring. That’s where I stand with it.”
Wilder, you’ve been told.