The former champion had his say.
Deontay Wilder thinks that Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury is a 50-50 fight.
The former WBC heavyweight champion drew once with Fury and lost their other two fights in one of the best trilogy series in boxing.
Fury came away with the belt and has yet to taste defeat, though he came relatively close in his recent non-title fight against Francis Ngannou in October.
Fury had been expected to arrange an undisputed heavyweight clash with Usyk over the course of the last year, and it finally appears set to come to fruition in early 2024 in Saudi Arabia.
Wilder will be fighting in the Kingdom on December 23, against Joseph Parker, in what could set up an eliminator with Anthony Joshua down the line, and perhaps even another title shot.
Speaking to Instant Casino, Wilder looked at the coming clash in the new year.
He said: “It’s a 50-50 fight, anything can happen. People look at Fury’s size as a major advantage but that doesn’t necessarily mean nothing because Usyk can stay low to the ground and because Fury’s so tall it’s going to be difficult to reach down.
“If Usyk can get in and out real fast, I feel speed could be a major factor. For me it’s 50-50 and I’m glad it’s finally happening so we get all the belts in one place.
“That’s going to make it easier for me to fight for the unification of those belts, so I won’t have to fight different champions and have champions running away because of what he’s seen me do to the last opponent. “
He continued: “It’s been hard for me. I’ve handed out opportunities but opportunities have never been given to me and that’s sad to say that.
“I could have unified the division four different times in my career, but these fighters would not fight me and put their titles on the line. I definitely want to unify the division, and the faster that happens, the faster I can answer the retirement question.
“But right now I’m in high spirits, I’m looking forward to the future and I’ve seen what the future looks like. And I love it. My aura and happiness about boxing has been re-lit because I know what’s to come and I’m looking forward to it.
“Deontay Wilder could be around for a good bit of time until he’s accomplished his goals and then I’m out of here.”
