By Edward Chaykovsky
Heavyweight contender Travis Kauffman (30-1, 22KOs) was fuming when he found out Chris Arreola is the current frontrunner to challenge WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (36-0, 35KOs) in the summer.
Wilder was scheduled to make a mandatory defense against Alexander Povetkin on May 21 in Moscow, Russia - but a little more than week before the fight both camps were advised that Povetkin had failed a pre-fight drug test and came up positive for Meldonium.
The WBC officially postponed the fight with Povetkin, and on Wednesday they issued an order which allowed Wilder to make a voluntary defense against any opponent of his choosing in the WBC's top 15.
In his last fight, Arreola was dropped and struggled to win a split decision win over Kauffman last December. The fight was changed to a no-decision and Arreola was given a 90 day suspension when he tested positive for marijuana in a post-fight drug test.
Kauffman believes he was robbed of a win and now Wilder is going to reward a fighter who wasn't clean in Arreola (36-4-1, 31 KOs).
"[Wilder], I respect you for what you've done from the amateurs to the pros. You're the heavyweight champ of the world, but you're fighting nobody man. I respect you because you've stayed clean in this sport and that's something we don't find in the heavyweight division," Kauffman said.
"You were just about to fight Povetkin and his cheating ass tested positive for a banned substance. Deontay Wilder knows who I am, because his next opponent is a guy I just beat, and they robbed me with Chris Arreola. Listen man, Chris Arreola is a personal friend of mine and I won't disrespect him, but I will say this - you took the easy route by fighting him, because I whooped Chris' ass."
"Not only that, but after I beat him he tested positive for a banned substance - and you picked to fight him. It's the easy way out. And fight someone body you know he lost to. On paper I lost but it's now a no-contest because he tested positive. You and the world knows I beat his ass. Stop it man, fight somebody with a heartbeat."
"Fight somebody who got a good chin. Whether you fight Chris or anybody else, I wish you the best in your career. I just hope that you give me the opportunity to fight you next - because I promise you my entire purse that I will knock you out, and that's a fact."