When Does 29-0 Deontay “KO Collector” Wilder Fight Next?

A nation of fans of heavyweight boxing still have those lonely eyes. They train them on Deontay Wiler, the Alabama-based hitter with a 29-0 mark, with 29 KOs, and ponder his potential. Could he be the one we’ve waited for, the Klitschko Killer, the one to break the stranglehold which subpar foes and aging haven’t been able to force?

I checked in with manager Jay Deas, who helms Wilder, along with advisors Al Haymon and Shelly Finkel, to see when we will see Wilder glove up again.

“That’s a great question,” Deas said. “I think everything will become clear after the Mayweather-Canelo fight. I think we’ll sit down with promoter Golden Boy and come up with a plan.”

Deas said he thought a fight with Chris Arreola as a nice option, but Arreola is hoping that he can instead have a rematch with Bermane Stiverne, with the winner to be declared WBC interim heavyweight champion, being that champ Vitali Klitshko has been doing the politics thing in Ukraine, and hasn’t committed his brain and body back to the ring. Vitali, who turned 42 in July, last gloved up Sept. 8, 2012, beating Manuel Charr (TKO4). Deas agrees with me, and thinks it would make sense for the WBC to have that belt up for grabs, with Vitali to meet the interim titlist.

If that doesn’t happen, 41-year-old Tony Thompson, who scored back to back TKO wins over Brit prospect David Price before dropping a UD12 to Kubrat Pulev in his last outing, on Aug. 24, is on Deas’ radar. “He’s a giant killer, that would make a great fight,” he said of the 38-2 southpaw. Deas also said a gauntlet run, against, say, Chauncey Welliver, Dominick Guinn and then Thompson, in October, November and December, is a viable concept. Wilder, last seen steamrolling ex titlist Sergei Liakhovich, would look to further prove his pop by trying to stop three durable cats who excel at survival. “Deontay gets through those guys, he’s ready for anything,” Deas said.

Deas seems in a good place, saying the Deas-Haymon-Finkel crew has jelled nicely, since coming together in June. He isn’t overly worried about that Wilder arrest which kicked up a few months ago, and neither is Johnny Law, it seems, as Wilder got a visa to fly to England, where he’s been sparring with David Haye. Mariusz Wach, at 6-9, and Wilder, at 6-7, and 6-8 Brit Richard Towers have been giving Haye looks to prep for 6-9 Tyson Fury (21-0) on Sept. 28 in England. HBO will show that scrap, FYI.

Deas said he heard the rumor that Wilder knocked down Haye (26-2; turns 33 on Oct. 13) in sparring, but said that Wilder didn’t inform him of that. “We’re all on the same page, along with Mark Breland and Russ Anber as co-trainers,” Deas said. “We’re a really good team, and Deontay has every opportunity to go all the way, and I think he will.”

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