Friday 13 January 2017 08:19, UK
Deontay Wilder should step up and take a "real fight" against Dillian Whyte, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn says.
WBC heavyweight champion Wilder boasts a perfect record from 37 fights and halted fellow American Chris Arreola after eight one-sided rounds in July last year.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ returns to action against Poland’s Andrzej Wawrzyk in his home state of Alabama next month.
And Hearn wants the American to give Whyte a world title shot next, suggesting the victor could potentially meet the winner of Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight blockbuster against Wladimir Klitschko.
“I want to see Dillian Whyte against Deontay Wilder,” Hearn told Sky Sports News HQ in New York ahead of James DeGale’s super-middleweight unification clash with Badou Jack.
“Wilder is coming back with this fight in February against the Polish gentleman, which is just a keep-busy fight for him, so what about Dillian Whyte in May?
“Klitschko and Joshua are fighting [at Wembley Stadium on April 29] and maybe the winner of those two fights meet.
“It could be Joshua against Wilder at the back end of the year, but let’s see Deontay Wilder in a real fight against another Brit. Let’s see him against Dillian Whyte - that’s a real fight for Deontay Wilder.
“I would like to see that fight and I’m going to mention it while I’m here. I’m going to go around and cause some trouble while I’m here in New York!
“But I want to see Dillian Whyte get a world title shot, I think he’s earned it.”
Whyte beat Dereck Chisora on points in a pulsating contest on the undercard of Joshua’s title defence against Eric Molina last month.
There has been plenty of public clamour for the two fighters to go toe-to-toe once again in a rematch and Hearn is keen for that bout to be made should Whyte fail to secure a world title shot.
“The rematch is appealing,” he said.
“He [Whyte] understands the public want to see that fight. He understands it’s a big money fight but he also wants to get a world title shot.
“He’s boxed something like five times in around six months so he is going to have a nice rest now but he’ll box again in May.
“The Chisora fight is a big fight. People want to see that and if there is no world title fight [in the offing], my advice to Dillian Whyte would be to go again with Chisora and give the fans what they want.”
Watch James DeGale v Badou Jack in a unification fight from the Barclays Center, New York, live on Sky Sports 1, 2am, Sunday, January 15.
