By Elias Makori and IBA
There has been a lot of talk lately around the Super Heavyweight and Heavyweight world boxing circles. In September, promoters of Russia’s WBA champion Murat Gassiev condemned reports that Tyson Fury's clash with fellow Briton Anthony Joshua on December 11 would be contested for the WBA's Super heavyweight title - a status Gassiev considers rightfully belonging to him.
Gassiev holds the WBA's regular heavyweight title, and following Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk's decision to vacate his titles, Gassiev’s corner maintained their should have been elevated to Super champion, or at the very least given the first opportunity to fight for that status, before it was awarded to anyone else.
Gassiev’s team argued that it was unacceptable that reports of this magnitude could circulate without any consultation with Gassiev and his team, and demanded clarification from the WBA.
“If anyone should be fighting for the WBA Super heavyweight title, it is Murat Gassiev, the reigning champion, not two boxers who currently hold no world title between them. Allowing the WBA's number two and number three contenders to bypass the number one contender and the reigning champion himself would be an extraordinary and, to our knowledge, unprecedented decision,” they said.
International Boxing Association President Umar Kremlev with former world heavyweight boxing champion Deontay Wilder at the IBA World Championships' gala dinner at the Emirates Golf Club in November last year. Wilder could face WBA champion Murat Gassiev soon. Photo - IBA
Deontay Wilder Targets Murat Gassiev
Gassiev himself noted: "Nobody asked me or my team anything before this decision. I have defended this title in the ring, not in a press release. I am ready to fight anyone - Fury, Joshua, anybody - tomorrow, next month, whenever suits. That has never been a question for me. I would not accept the situation when champion's future is decided on paper, not in the ring.”
And on Monday this week, the conversation took an interesting turn with former WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder revealing to the International Boxing Association (IBA) that he is interested in facing Gassiev, confirming that discussions have taken place between their teams.
No agreement has been announced, but the American made it clear that Gassiev is the opponent who excites him most.
“There is some communication between me and Murat’s team for sure, and I would love that. Out of all the choices, I would love for that one to go,” Wilder said. “He’s a great guy, a great champion. He’s been to my camps before, and we’ve sparred. To see him as a champion is well deserved.”
‘Age Nothing But a Number’
Wilder turned 41 in October, but he refuses to treat his age as a limitation. “Not at all. I feel like I’m 19,” he said when asked whether he was beginning to feel the effects of time. “Age is nothing but a number. We’re not getting old, we’re just getting older. What we can control is how we feel, what we eat and what we put into our bodies.”
He insists he remains in good enough physical condition to compete with much younger athletes, both in the gym and at home. Even his sons, he joked, have to team up against him when they play basketball. “They have to play two against one against me. They have no chance at all!”
For Wilder, maintaining that competitive edge is as much about discipline and mental clarity as it is about physical training.
Turning to the wider heavyweight division, Wilder singled out Daniel Dubois as one of the boxers he believes could eventually unify the world titles. “I really like that kid. I like how he’s developing and where he is now. He’s still young and has a lot more room to develop. I could actually see him unifying. I really can.”
Murat Gassiev: 'I’ll fight anyone if it makes sense for my career.' Photo - IBA
Strong Foundation
Wilder also spoke about the difficulties facing American heavyweight boxing, arguing that the country’s problems begin long before talented boxers reach the professional ranks.
“We don’t have a strong amateur programme, if we have one at all anymore,” he said. “A lot of fighters want to turn professional so fast instead of developing and learning. You’ve got to have a strong foundation first and foremost.”
He believes that promising boxers are also being held back by problems outside the ring. “There are a lot of great fighters you’ll never get to see because of bad management, being in court, bad promotion or not being able to get fights.”
Wilder knows how difficult the journey can be. His own career took him through modest and sometimes unlikely venues before he became a world champion.
“I fought one time in a strip club. They still had the stripper poles in the dressing room. That’s a real story.” Those experiences have shaped his understanding of the sport and the opportunities that can be lost along the way.
Despite his admiration for some of today’s leading heavyweights, Wilder believes the division is missing the excitement that once surrounded his own rise to prominence. He is convinced he still has something to contribute – and has no intention of returning simply to make up the numbers. (Reporting from IBA resources)
