'The next move right now for him is January' - Malik Scott Shared Wilder's Future Plans
Malik Scott, Deontay Wilder's current trainer and former heavyweight contender, shared Wilder's plans as they anticipate a much-awaited bout with Anthony Joshua. The boxing community has been buzzing about a potential match between Wilder and Joshua since 2018, with hopes of crowning a unified heavyweight champion in the four-belt era. Yet, despite the anticipation, nothing came of the discussions, and both fighters eventually lost their titles. Interestingly, even though Wilder has only stepped into the ring for a single round since October 2021, it appears a face-off between the two former champions is on the horizon. The rumored location for this high-profile clash is Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, set for early 2024. While speaking on The Porter Way Podcast, Scott mentioned that they're currently waiting on Joshua's decision. However, he expressed that Wilder is open to another fight this year as a warm-up. Scott explained that at one point, Wilder aimed to compete three times this year. Due to Wilder's knockout prowess, he believed he could even manage four. He addressed concerns about Wilder's recent inactivity, attributing it to the brief match with Helenius that lasted barely over a minute. Scott said people might be more understanding if the match had stretched longer. Scott voiced the feelings of those close to Wilder, suggesting that it might be best for Wilder to have another match before facing Joshua. Yet, he's confident that regardless of prior activity, Wilder is ready. He hinted at a potential bout in October, with a definite one in January.
“At one time, he wanted to fight three times this year. I was big on the fact that he would be able to get four times a year and the reason that I say that is because of the knockout power. “Let’s say Deontay went nine rounds last October, people wouldn’t be raving so much about his inactivity now, but the fact that he was in the ring for maybe ninety seconds with Helenius, people are getting kind of worried. “If you are around him, you care about him and you want the best for him, you have to want him to get another fight before going into [the] Joshua [fight]. But I personally think that, this could be my ego talking, it won’t matter. “The next move right now for him is January, if we can get something for him in October, that would be great.The anticipation for the clash between the two boxing giants continues to build, promising significant opportunities for the victor and challenges for the defeated.
