Wilder ready to ‘fight anyone’ after Breazeale KO

NEW YORK, USA – Deontay Wilder is ready to “fight anyone” after his brutal World Boxing Council heavyweight title defense, but a showdown with Anthony Joshua is unlikely to happen this year.

Wilder demolished Dominic Breazeale with a devastating first-round knockout, flooring his challenger with a thunderous right hand at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Saturday, May 18 (Sunday, May 19, Philippine time). 

The knockout led to renewed calls for Wilder to face WBA, IBF and WBO champion Joshua or take a rematch against Tyson Fury following the two fighters’ bruising 12-round draw in Los Angeles last December.

Wilder, who improved to 41-0-1 with 40 knockouts with Saturday’s win, said afterwards he believed a fight with Joshua will happen eventually, urging fans to be patient.

“The great thing about this is all these fights are in discussion, no doors are closed, all teams, all parties that are involved are talking and that’s the great thing about it,” Wilder told reporters.

“We know when the big fights happen everything is going to be silenced. There’s too many people involved, too many opinions involved right now.”

“This fight will happen. The big fight will happen, I promise you that. I just want you guys to have patience and give us a little time to make this thing happen so we all benefit from it, not only just you fans.”

Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel said the champion’s next opponent would be decided shortly, with a rematch against Cuba’s Luis Ortiz reportedly the most likely option.

While protracted negotiations over a possible Joshua showdown broke down, Finkel said Wilder remained enthusiastic about fighting the undefeated Briton.

“Deontay will fight anyone,” Finkel said. 

“He was willing to fight Joshua for very little. When someone wants to make a fight, they make it. Deontay isn’t a man who makes excuses.”

“We want to have the rematch with Fury, we want to fight Joshua, we want to fight every important heavyweight out there. At the end of the day, it’s up to Anthony Joshua.”

Speaking to BBC Sport, Finkel said a meeting with either Joshua or Fury was unlikely to happen this year.

“I would say probably next year but nothing’s definite,” he said.

Fury, meanwhile, took to Instagram on Sunday to congratulate Wilder while taunting fellow Briton Joshua.

“I just wanted to say well done to Deontay Wilder in knocking out Dominic Breazeale,” Fury said. 

“Anyone who wants to go toe-to-toe with Wilder will have the same fate as Dominic Breazeale and his 40 other victims. Anthony Joshua, you’ll get it as well. The same thing will happen to you.” – Rappler.com