WBC heavyweight ruler Deontay Wilder is having fun ahead of his imminent mandatory title defence against Alexander Povetkin. Far from coming across as a fighter who is worried or concerned about the fight – set to take place in Russia against a Russian superstar – Wilder is giving plenty of interviews and he has said in some of them how he feels he will KO Povetkin (becoming the first fighter to do so) and will make it look easy.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Wilder, 36-0, gave a more colorful interview – stating how his fight with Povetkin will be a re-make of the fourth installment in the “Rocky” series! Rocky Balboa-Ivan Drago II!? Wilder says he will be the “black Rocky” and that he will overcome the odds the way the fictitious character did in the 1980s blockbuster that was released at a time when the Cold War was still very much raging.
“I can adapt to any environment or any situation I need to, so I am ready to go to Russia,” Wilder told Sky Sports. “You take what you get or start crying about it but I am re-doing Rocky IV. I am doing the black Rocky. I am sure everyone has seen it and I am going to do the same as he did. You’ve all seen it, it was a great fight, he took a beating – I won’t be getting one like that – but he came out victorious. I am the heavyweight champion of the world and that’s why I’m going to his place. I am going to get world-wide recognition from whoever wants it, and whoever wants to challenge me.”
Movies aside, there is only one real, lineal heavyweight champion of the world, and that’s Tyson Fury. Fury is certainly a man willing to challenge Wilder, or have Wilder challenge him, if you prefer. And that fight, one that could theoretically take place this year, would give any fictitious movie fight a run for it’s money in terms of action. But right now it’s the Povetkin fight, and Wilder might have a much tougher fight on his hands than he is letting on.
Povetkin, reportedly training hard, hard, hard for the past month or so, is hungry and he has been waiting for his shot at Wilder for a long time. Povetkin is the older man, he is the shorter man with a shorter reach, but he has that massive advantage of fighting at home. Wilder says he won’t have to take a beating before coming out victorious, but he might well have to give a career-best performance if he is to come home with his belt.
Wilder is right about one thing though, he will get huge recognition, and respect, if he is able to make the long trip to Russia and defeat his fellow former Olympian. But will “The Bronze Bomber” win over the hostile crowd the way Rocky did against Drago!?