If you were offered the enormous sum of $10 million for doing absolutely zero apart from letting two other guys fight (and pick up significantly more than $10 million between them), you would surely do it, right? Well, various reports – originating via The Athletic but being picked up since by numerous publications – say this is the sum former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is asking for to step aside from his contractually agreed third fight with Tyson Fury.
These reports say Wilder also insists the deal includes the promise that he will be given a shot at the Fury-Anthony Joshua winner (the two Brits would look to get it on if Wilder, and Kubrat Pulev, who is mandatory to Joshua). If it’s TRUE, Wilder is either being smart, or he has maybe lost heart and is no longer hell-bent on getting Fury back in the ring as soon as he can in an attempt to redeem himself from the bad loss he suffered in February.
What do you think- is Wilder smart to take this big money and step aside if it is actually being dangled in front of him? Lennox Lewis once took a step aside money to allow Mike Tyson to face somebody else other than himself (later fighting Tyson anyway, and beating him decisively for colossal money). So why not Wilder?
Until we actually hear it from Wilder himself, we cannot be anywhere sure this kind of big money is being offered to him to allow the Fury v Joshua fight (and will Pulev also agree to step aside, from his shot at AJ?). But if it is well, good business sense and all that.
Who but a crazy man would say thanks but no thanks to a cool $10 million??
In an ideal world, Wilder would’ve better off taking a confidence restoring tune-up fight before going back in with Fury again.maybe this is what “The Bronze Bomber” will indeed do. Once the boxing schedule resumes, that is. Let’s wait and hear it from Wilder.