By Edward Chaykovsky
WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (33-0, 32KOs) is aiming to become the biggest star in boxing.
The Olympic bronze medal winner captured his world title in January with a twelve round decision over dangerous Bermane Stiverne at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He returns on June 13th in his first world title defense, against Eric Molina. The homecoming event is nearly sold out with 8,500 fans expected in Wilder's backyard of Birmingham, Alabama.
Showtime will showcase the fight with Jose Pedraza and Andrey Klimov battling in the televised co-feature.
Wilder seems to take a discreet jab or two in Maweather's direction, when the big puncher discussed his upcoming ALL ACCESS documentary show on Showtime. After some controversial segments in his own series, Mayweather told the Nevada State Athletic Commission that portions of the series were scripted to create a dramatic effect.
"Oh, definitely [I can be bigger than Mayweather]. Most definitely, and I say that with high confidence because the heavyweight division is the cream of the crop in the first place, and the things that I bring, the excitement, the personality that I have, everything about me is all me, is totally me. Some people, some guys when they have cameras in their face, they pursue to be a certain type of person. Their persona about them changes or whatever, and then when the camera is off, they're a whole totally different person. I don't have flip personalities. I'm not a fake person," Wilder said.
"Everything about me is real, everything you see, even the ALL ACCESS. You know, you all watch the ALL ACCESS, everything is me. Nothing is scripted. Nothing is planned out, nothing. I can't sit back and let somebody script something out about my life and what it is because it'll be fake, and I won't be able to go through with it because it wouldn't be me."
"So, I think I bring a lot of excitement to this division. I have woken up a lot of people as far as friends to come back to the division and stuff like that, and I know I'm doing the right things. People love me. That's what it's all about, but I'm just glad to be a part of the movement because we've got a lot of other exciting heavyweights that have made it - come back alive again as well too, whether it's bashing up the talking or whether it's the excitement of the performance of their fights. So, the division is definitely on the rise, and I'm looking to be the biggest thing in boxing, period."