Wilder OK With Not Being a Pay-Per-View Headliner

by David P. Greisman

The biggest money in boxing comes with being a pay-per-view headliner. But the biggest audience doesn’t tend to come that way. And that’s why Deontay Wilder doesn’t mind that he’s performing on Showtime and “Premier Boxing Champions” cards right now — including his Sept. 26 heavyweight title defense against Johann Duhaupas.

“I never had a goal to be a pay-per-view star. If pay-per-view come, pay-per-view come. I’m all for the people. I know everybody can’t afford pay-per-view and stuff like that. I love fighting on the Showtimes, and being that I have the opportunity to fight on NBC, which we haven’t had  a heavyweight title fight in over 30 years, and now I get this opportunity. Since 1985. That’s when I was born.”

The last major heavyweight boxing broadcast on NBC is said to have been on May 20, 1985, when Larry Holmes outpointed Carl “The Truth” Williams.

Wilder was actually born five months and two days after that.

“This right here excites me,” Wilder said. “I don’t have a goal to be a pay-per-view star. I want to be where it’s affordable, where people can watch and appreciate the sport of boxing as I bring it back, as I defend my title as much as possible and build my legacy. My ultimate goal is to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.”

Wilder is 34-0 with 33 KOs. He scored 32 straight knockouts before stepping up in opposition and outpointing Bermane Stiverne earlier this year to win a heavyweight title. His last fight was a June stoppage of Eric Molina.

Duhaupas’s is  32-2 (20 KOs). His losses came by unanimous decisions dropped to Francisco Pianeta in 2008 and Erkan Teper this past March. He bounced back in April with a majority decision over Manuel Charr.

Pick up a copy of David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsamazon or internationally at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsworldwide. Send questions/comments via email at fightingwords1@gmail.com