With Deontay Wilder having now been formally announced to be fighting Derek Chisora on April 4 in London, Wilder talks to Fight Hub TV about the importance of this fight as he aims to make another world title run at age 40. Wilder, who hasn’t looked anywhere near the menacing force he once was, believes that now he’s in a better place in his personal life it will bleed through into the ring, while Chisora will be looking to go out with a bang in what will be his 50th fight, taking place in front of his hometown fans. Here’s some of what Wilder had to say below.
Wilder on his face off with Chisora
“It wasn’t nothing really going on, it was just a reminiscent moment of deja vu but just at a different place because when I fought Artur Szpilka out here, I think it was at the Empire State Building on top of the roof and it was very cold and the wind was blowing. Something similar here but it’s much colder this time around than that time, but I end up catching the flu during that time. This time around those thoughts come in your head and stuff, but you know, that was the only thing. I was just ready to get out of the cold.”
On how this Chisora fight came together when he was in talks to fight Usyk
“With the Usyk fight, it was a lot of rumors…and me and Derek have been working on the fight for a very long time. Actually, this fight was supposed to have happened back in December but due to other situations and stuff it didn’t happen.
“With the Usyk situation, it was like ‘I’m 40 years old as a fighter’ you know, I’m ready to go. I can’t sit back, I can’t sit around. And of course we have plans of what we want to do to get to the top and we got through our first fight. The second fight is what’s going to be something, a level a bit different than my last opponent but a little bit more, and the Derek [fight] came which was a level all over ‘cause we need somebody like that.
“I don’t think [Usyk’s team] had a set date, a place where they wanted to go — that was still lingering around and the clock [is ticking]. If you understand boxing you know things either going to go slow or it’s going to come by real fast. There’s no medium, and you got to be ready at all times.
“By the time we got the Derek fight made, that’s when the other side was like ‘oh, we ready to go’ but we just felt like it was too late and we wanted to take this opportunity versus taking the other one.”
On whether he’ll fight Usyk if he beats Chisora
“I can’t confirm it 100% but it’s going to be strong in that direction. We’re going to be willing, ready and able. It’s just going to be ‘is he available and willing, ready and able’ just as I. So at this moment in time we can’t really speak on it because we don’t have enough information…but we hope and pray it all goes well and it leads in that direction.”
