WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has played down speculation he could fight Wladimir Klitschko later this year.
Asked if he’d like to take on Klitschko on pay-per-view next, Wilder said: “Na. We’ll still have to see what he does, let him get back in and build him up. Look, Klitschko, when he fought [Anthony] Joshua, he was out for two years and he came back and lost the stuff so he got to build himself back up. He can only live off his name for so long. You get to the point where [you’re no longer] that fighter that you used to be.
“I can’t say used to be somebody because he’s still somebody, he’s still Klitschko, he did amazing things in his career and you can never take that back. Even when I went to camp with him I learned a lot of things from him. So you can never take that from him. ‘But the fighting scene, when you come back, you gotta build yourself back up. Especially against someone like me, because I’m coming in for the kill. I ain’t playing around with nobody.
“And I don’t think he’ll want that fight, to be honest in my opinion. Klitschko had many times to challenge me. Every time he coming back, ain’t nobody mentioning Deontay Wilder’s name because they know that this is a tough fight.”
Asked who he wants to fight next, Wilder continued: “The future is bright. Of course, I want the best and we’re going to get the best. I want to see one champion, one face, one name, that’s always going to be my ultimate goal. No matter who I may have to face, we’re going one step at a time, one fight at a time. You guys know my ultimate goal. As long as you know my ultimate goal, I shouldn’t be questioned about anything else, because my ultimate goal is to be the best and I will be that.”