DEONTAY Wilder will make his return to boxing after a 14-month absence when he takes on Joseph Parker in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night. In his last fight, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ only needed one round to defeat Robert Helenius in Brooklyn. However, he is aware that the upcoming fight against Parker, a former WBO belt-holder, will be a much tougher challenge.
This week, Boxing News spoke with Wilder, who revealed that a fight between himself and Parker has been in the works for years. “Joseph Parker was supposed to fight us a long time ago when he was the WBO champion, but he ran from me and now it’s payback from running,” Wilder said. “I’m looking forward to the fight. I like to tell people, ‘When I get in the ring don’t blink,’ because it may be an early night come Saturday night.”
Trained by Andy Lee, some observers believe that Parker is a rejuvenated and hungrier fighter and could take advantage of Wilder’s ring rust. However, Wilder dismissed this notion, stating, “I don’t really gain ring rust. Although my body is not in the ring, my mind has never left. This has been short notice and a short camp, so we have had to cram a lot of rounds in this camp, but it all worked out for the best. I’m ready to go.”
Wilder is known for his notorious power, with 42 of his 43 wins coming by way of knockout or stoppage. Parker’s trainer says that the fight between his man and Wilder could come down to a shootout, which would be welcomed by the American. “It’s always music to my ears because none of these guys’ power matches mine,” Wilder claimed. “Numbers don’t lie and numbers tell the truth. If he wants to have a shootout that will be fine with me. It’ll be an even earlier night than expected.”