LUCAS “BIG DADDY” BROWNE believes a fight between Deontay Wilder and Chris Arreola would be bad for heavyweight boxing.
Browne is set to face Argentina’s Gonzalo Basile in Melbourne next month and will turn his attention to his mandatory shot at WBA champion Ruslan Chagaev afterwards.
But he’s hopeful of getting Wilder in the ring before the end of the year and feels it will be a barnburner with potentially two belts on the line.
Wilder is expected to defend his WBC crown against fellow American Chris Arreola in the winter. Browne, however, believes the match-up would do little for the Alabama –native’s reputation and he should instead give fans the fight they really want to see.
“Nobody wants to watch Wilder v Arreola,” Lucas said. “Even if they were giving tickets away, hardly anyone would turn up.
“Wilder is the first American heavyweight champion in years and what people really want to see is him real fights rather than ones against out of shape club fighters like Molina or people who are over the hill like Arreola.
“I mean, Arreola struggled to get a draw with an unknown who looked like a blown-up cruiserweight this past weekend, and now he’s supposed to be next in line for a world title.
“Al Haymon has promised to give fans the best fights and he’d be letting the public down if he gave them weak-chinned Wilder and a guy who doesn’t even look like he takes training seriously.
“I’m mandatory for the WBA title so I’d like a unification after I’ve beaten Chagaev and I hope Wilder will step up to the plate. In fact, I’ll fight him now if wants.”
While the target remains a showdown with Chagaev, Hatton Promotions and Lucas’s management team are willing to speak with the advisor of the WBC to make the fight happen.
