To stay busy means more than getting another tattoo. It means finding someone who has shown little inclination to fight to the best of his ability?
It may no longer matter who he fights. So long as he knocks guys out, however qualified they may or may not have been to fight for the heavyweight title in the first place, it appears to be more than enough for undiscerning fight fans to start slavering.
Deontay Wilder?s May 21 defense of his WBC belt against Alexander Povetkin went gone down the tubes after the Russian tested positive for Meldonium. Wilder and DiBella Entertainment, his promoter of record, have filed a multimillion dollar lawsuit against Povetkin and Andrey Ryabinskiy for breach of agreement.
The wheels of justice move slowly, when they move at all, and Wilder is dead set on staying busy while the world waits for the winner of the Fury-Klitschko rematch to challenge Wilder to a unification bout.
To stay busy means more than getting another tattoo. It means finding someone who has shown little inclination to fight to the best of his ability. It also means that the particular someone?s abilities, such as they are at this point, pose little to no threat to the reigning and defending titleholder.
To show that there are no hard feelings, despite the aforementioned lawsuit, when it comes to fighters that fail drug tests, Wilder and his team have selected Chris Arreola, himself the proud possessor of a failed drug test or two, to be the next notch on Wilder?s holster.
On Saturday, July 16, at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama, WBC World heavyweight world champion Deontay ?The Bronze Bomber? Wilder (36-0, 35 KOs), fighting out Tuscaloosa, Alabama, will defend his title against Chris ?The Nightmare? Arreola (36-4-1, 31 KOs), from Escondido, California.
?I?m always excited about coming home and being in front of my people where I?m the most comfortable,? said Wilder. ?I?ve been traveling a lot, going over to Sheffield, England to train before I was supposed to fight Alexander Povetkin in Moscow. But because of his decision to use a banned substance, the fight didn?t happen. I?m disappointed about that, but it?s not going to stop me from being an active heavyweight world champion. It has also given me the opportunity to again defend my title before my hometown fans. It?s always good to come home.
?This is the longest stretch that I?ve been out of the ring and I?m anxious to get back in and continue my quest to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. This is another fight in that process. I respect Chris Arreola for getting into the ring with me, but we all know who the real champion is and I?m going to prove it. I?ve been training long and hard for a fight and now I?m going to take it out on Arreola on July 16.?
Arreola may be in for some punishment. He needs a win, having won only two of last six fights, but it?s not likely to be at Wilder?s expense.
?I?m thankful to Deontay for this opportunity,? said Arreola. ?He has proven a great deal by winning the heavyweight title and by defending it three times. I?m very excited to step into the ring with him, put on a great show, be victorious and make history by becoming the first Mexican heavyweight world champion.?
We?ve heard that before and will no doubt hear it again. But Arreola, however Mexican he might be, has his work cut out for him.
