Friday 15 November 2019 17:20, UK
Deontay Wilder would become the WBC's 'Franchise' champion, if it meant he could avoid fights with Anthony Joshua or Dillian Whyte, says promoter Eddie Hearn.
Wilder defends his WBC heavyweight title in a rematch with Luis Ortiz in Las Vegas on November 23, live on Sky Sports, and recently said the WBC's new title of 'Franchise' champion would not 'fit me'.
But Hearn believes Wilder could be tempted to accept this new status, which means a champion does not have to fulfil a mandatory defence, if he was finally obligated to face Joshua or Whyte.
"You can't take anything Wilder says seriously," The Matchroom Boxing boss told Sky Sports.
"First of all he says 'one face, one name, one champion', and then we chase the undisputed fight for over a year, and he don't want to know, and Joshua loses and it's 'one face, one name, one champion' again.
"Now he says he'll turn down a Franchise belt. If he gets the opportunity to duck Dillian Whyte or Anthony Joshua, or anybody by being elevated to Franchise champion, he would do it in a heartbeat.
"Don't take what Deontay Wilder says too seriously."
Whyte was suspended of his status as WBC mandatory challenger, which he earned by defeating Oscar Rivas, in the wake of an "adverse finding" in a UK Anti-Doping test.
He insisted that Rivas was beaten 'fair and square', but a recent statement from the WBC indicated that Whyte must wait 16 months for his first world title opportunity, with Tyson Fury replacing him as mandatory challenger ahead of an expected rematch in 2020.
Joshua had previously pursued an undisputed world title fight against Wilder, who has suggested he would prefer a 'more exciting' fight with Andy Ruiz ahead of the Brit's rematch with the Mexican on December 7, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
"I think Andy Ruiz will give anybody an exciting fight," Hearn responded. "Wilder needs to worry about Luis Ortiz, because he's in a fight that's not in the same level as Joshua against Andy Ruiz.
"That's the biggest fight of the year, that's one of the biggest heavyweight fights of the decade. I think everyone would give Deontay Wilder trouble."
The World Boxing Super Series recently staged impressive finals between Josh Taylor and Regis Prograis and Naoya Inoue and Nonito Donaire, although any prospect of a maiden competition at heavyweight has been deemed unlikely by Hearn.
"No, that doesn't work," he said. "The problem with the series is there's too many promoters, too many broadcasters that won't put their fighter in.
"You don't always see the best versus the best. I mean Inoue against Donaire wasn't the best in the weight class, it just happened to be a brilliant fight. Prograis-Taylor could have been the best in its weight class, another great fight.
"The series is doing great things, but there's too many promoters and broadcasters that are stopping fighters from going into that series."
