The mystery of Deontay Wilder's future in regards to his next fight and what network will he fight on has been answered.
In a press conference in New York, it was announced that Wilder will defend his WBC heavyweight title against mandatory challenger Dominic Breazeale. The fight will headline a Showtime-televised card from the Barclays Center on May 18 and will not be shown pay-per-view in the United States as it was previously rumored.
The news ends Breazeale's long wait in getting his shot at the WBC title since winning a title eliminator against Eric Molina in late 2017. Breazeale had only fought once since beating Molina, a knockout win against Carlos Negron last December at the Barclays Center. Breazeale has won his last three bouts since getting stopped by Anthony Joshua in 2016 with the IBF title on the line.
The fight came together after Tyson Fury decided not to move forward with an immediate rematch against Wilder after the two sides appeared to have been close to finalizing a deal several weeks back. After Fury withdrew from the rematch, it had been heavily reported that Wilder would likely face Breazeale next and that fight appeared to be set in stone when the WBC ordered the two heavyweights to face off.
Wilder is unbeaten in 41 pro bouts but his 40-fight win streak was snapped when fought Fury to a draw last September. In the months after the fight between Wilder and Fury, Wilder also had offers from DAZN and ESPN to join their respective platforms, with fights against Joshua and Fury, respectively looming over the horizon. But Wilder appears dead-set on fighting under the PBC umbrella and will be fighting on Showtime television for the third time since 2017.
