ARLINGTON, Texas _ Deontay Wilder is the heavyweight champion of the world, with a perfect record, and there is a great chance you had no clue about either fact.
Last week, Wilder spoke to the juniors and seniors of Arlington Bowie High School in its auditorium, and one young man was so excited at the champ's arrival he slept through most of his speech. The kid was dead asleep even though he was sitting in the second row, and Wilder's speech was loud enough to be heard outside of the auditorium.
That's how far boxing has fallen in this country.
"I want to bring it back to the golden days of boxing," Wilder said in an interview following his speech. "It has not been back since 2004 with Lennox Lewis. Everyone knows that as the heavyweight division goes, so goes boxing."
A boxer saying he wants to "bring back the golden days of boxing" feels like a phone manufacturer who wants to bring back the beeper.
Wilder is 40-0-1 in his career, and said he will fight Tyson Fury this year. And then he wants Anthony Joshua.
Don't worry that you are not totally familiar with either name. They're both Brits. Just know that both fights are good for boxing, because both are fights you would want to watch.
"We still have a bit more to go but the fight is definitely going to happen," Wilder said of his rematch with Fury. "It should be announced very, very soon. The only reason it would not is if their side backs out. As of today, everything is 100 percent ready to go."
Boxing needs more of Deontay Wilder versus Tyson Fury, and less of Floyd Mayweather versus Spare Bum in Southeast Asia at 2 a.m.. Or Manny Pacquiao versus Old Washed Up Guy Looking For a Check.
