WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs) is planning a destructive performance in what many critics are calling the toughest fight of his career.
Wilder will defend his strap for the seventh time later tonight, against undefeated Cuban challenger Luis Ortiz (28-0, 24 KOs).
Ortiz has never been down or even hurt, and he holds a size advantage after Wilder weighed in on Friday at 214-pounds, which is one of the lowest weights of his entire career. And Ortiz was a much bigger 241-pounds.
Wilder believes his power, skills and speed will be too much for the older Ortiz to handle.
The 'Bronze Bomber' is most interested in a unification in the second half of the year with IBF, WBA, IBO champion Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) of the UK.
Joshua is back on March 31, in a unification showdown with WBO world champion Joseph Parker at Principality in Cardiff, Wales.
Should Wilder win tonight, he plans to be ringside for Joshua-Parker to challenge the winner.
There are some who favor Joshua, based on sheer size, to topple Wilder.
Joshua weighed 254-pounds of muscle for his TKO win over Carlos Takam in October of last year. The extra mass appeared to slow him down, and made him tired, in the second half of the fight.
If anyone is picking Joshua to beat him in the future, Wilder expects them to regret that decision after witnessing what he does to Ortiz at Barclays.
"I don't want anybody to change their prediction about me versus Joshua after what they see on Saturday night. I'm going to keep proving people wrong just like I've always done. I love proving people wrong," Wilder said.
"When I think about Luis Ortiz, I see threes. It's a magical number. I see a third round knockout. I've done what I've said so far, and I haven't let anybody down. I will knock him out and then I will unify the division. I'm on a mission. There will be one champion, one face and one name. Deontay Wilder."
