Boxing: Hall Of Fame Promoter Calls Deontay Wilder Horrible, Likens Tyson Fury To Muhammad Ali

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum explicitly criticized Deontay Wilder ahead of the American fighter’s highly anticipated rematch against Tyson Fury later this month. As part of the joint promotion for the WBC, the Ring, and lineal heavyweight Championship, the legendary boxing executive was blunt in taking a swipe at Wilder who will put his belt on the line in the said bout scheduled on Feb. 22 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“I haven’t seen a guy with that one-punch power; I’ve never seen anything like it. It is actually accentuated by the fact he doesn’t know how to box. He is a horrible boxer,” Arum said of Wilder per World Boxing News. “He puts on a clinic of how not to box. But he has that right hand and it is like a laser. It will find the most vulnerable part of his opponent’s anatomy,”

The first fight held in December 2018 ended in a controversial split draw. Both fighters have fought and bagged respective wins since. They came into terms last December 27 to book their rematch as Arum’s Top Rank Promotions, Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions, and Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions connived to jointly promote what could be one of the largest boxing fights in recent memory.

But while the 88-year-old businessman pours scorn on the Bronze Bomber, the Gypsy King gets his praise. In a talk last January with World Boxing News, Arum boldly described Fury as a hybrid of heavyweight greats that include George Forman and Muhammad Ali.

“Well, a little bit of Ali, a little bit of George Foreman – he blends a lot of the strengths of those guys together, with a little bit of Roberto Duran,” Arum said. “He is a promoter’s dream and it reminds me of when I promoted Ali.”

“Ali was such a brilliant self-promoter, but a lot of people would then give me credit for having him say this or that. Of course, I had nothing to do with it. “It is the same with Tyson Fury. The only input I have is to have my staff tell him where he has to be at a certain time. You don’t tell Tyson Fury what to say,” he continued.

The words did not come as a surprise since Fury is basically under Arum’s wings as the 6’9 challenger signed with Top Rank and ESPN for a five-fight agreement that is expected to serve him a huge payroll.