(Newswire.net — January 10, 2023) — American heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder will lock horns with Andy Ruiz Jr. in the final eliminator to become the next mandatory challenger for the WBC heavyweight belt currently held by Tyson Fury. Speculation has intensified in recent weeks suggesting that Wilder would hand Briton Anthony Joshua a golden ticket as his next opponent, however, that olive branch has since been thrown out by Joshua’s camp.
Ruiz Jr. recently came through a grueling bout with Luis Ortiz, securing a victory by unanimous points decision. The American knocked Ortiz down on three occasions, demonstrating his punching power and his impressive durability throughout. The former world heavyweight champion was fighting for the first time since overcoming Chris Arreola in May 2021.
Meanwhile, Wilder’s comprehensive first-round knockout of Robert Helenius firmly announced the return to the scene of the “Bronze Bomber”. If Wilder can overcome Ruiz Jr. and Fury emerges victorious from a mooted match-up with Oleksandr Usyk, it could tee up a fourth fight between Wilder and Fury.
The boxing world could never tire of Wilder Vs Fury bouts
Given how electric their trilogy of fights was, this would surely be one of the most eagerly anticipated fights of 2023. Only a re-match of Floyd Mayweather Vs Conor McGregor would carry similar pay-per-view interest. Mayweather would be a heavy pre-fight favorite once again, with FanDuel Sportsbook’s futures market already pricing him as a -550 favorite against the Irish MMA icon. Having specialized in daily fantasy sports, this brand has since branched out into conventional sports betting, with the FanDuel promo code one of several bonus campaigns open to first-time American bettors in legalized states.
Like Mayweather and McGregor, Wilder and Fury have incredible ring chemistry, with an ongoing feud that’s simmered away for years. With the carrot of another potential crack at Fury, Wilder will no doubt be motivated to defeat Ruiz Jr. but it would be remiss to consider Ruiz Jr. an easy nut to crack. After all, Ruiz Jr. surprised the boxing world by defeating Anthony Joshua to become the heavyweight champion of the world. He appears to be back down to comfortable fighting weight and looked at ease with himself in his victory over Ortiz.
Wilder remains one of the most feared heavyweights on the planet
Prior to the announcement of Wilder’s final WBC eliminator with Ruiz Jr., former heavyweight boxer David Haye described Wilder as the “hardest punching heavyweight ever”. Haye spoke on BT Sport and mentioned his days sparring Wilder in the gym. He said that he was affected more by Wilder hitting him with “18-ounce gloves on” while “wearing a head guard” than Wladimir Klitschko’s punches to the chin with “10-ounce gloves on”.
Haye said the Bronze Bomber was “wild” but had “the power” to do some damage in the heavyweight division. Years later, 42 knockouts in 43 victories suggest that he’s certainly one of the most destructive fighters boxing has ever seen.