GL: Before we get into your upcoming rematch with Luis Ortiz, I've got to get your thoughts on Andy Ruiz's huge upset victory over Anthony Joshua to capture the IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO titles. What did you think of the fight? Were you disappointed or satisfied by that result? Obviously you might be disappointed that the fight with Joshua will never be as big as it could've been, but at the same time your recent performances have clearly shown why that fight never materialized. Deontay Wilder: "I think Andy's performance was great! He came in there with a master plan and he executed it and now he's a champion. It's like he said, 'mama we ain't got to struggle no more,' and I love seeing things like that because most fighters struggle and come out of poverty. We come from a low place and we're just trying to find guidance in this sport. We're trying to find something that can lift us out of a situation and he accomplished that the other night. I'm happy for him making history as well too. He picked it right, he said out of the three he would rather fight Joshua because his style fit him and he was right about that. It's definitely very disappointing because I've been trying to make that fight happen for years, I tried to make the fight happen five times. It's clear now why they didn't want it to happen, they wanted to sell him but they were getting enough satisfaction from the money I guess. They knew I was going to knock Anthony Joshua out and it's clear now who was running from who. Like I said, his whole career was built off of lies, contradictions and gifts and now we know who ran from who."

 

"It's very disappointing though, I always knew that Joshua had a weak mind set, certain things he says, certain things he does and it came out and showed that night. I think there was a lot of pressure on him, the performance I just displayed was a hard act to follow and he was out of his safe haven for the first time. He was coming to a country where not everybody was going to be on his side. He was coming over here to the Mecca of Boxing and over here we're not that nice and everybody isn't going to be on your side. This is a country that is so diverse and people speak their minds here, so it's not going to be all pats on the back and good job mate. There was a lot of pressure on him to perform and then compete against me because everybody wanted to see the mega-fight and it was too much. It wasn't just the things that he said, it was his promoter too. His promoter put more pressure on him than anybody else. Joshua had to back up not only what he said, but what Eddie Hearn was saying as well. You ever had somebody that speaks for you but can't act on it, and they're the ones doing all the woofing and talking. It's like having guys with you doing all the talking, but you've got to do all the fighting and Eddie applied a lot of pressure on him as well too and you could see that they done messed up the fight. I told y'all that he was going to regret not taking those $50M, I'm sure he's kicking himself now. Many things I say come to pass, but this is boxing and I understand that anything can happen in this sport."

 

GL: It's not something you should care much about, but do you think Anthony Joshua should exercise his rematch clause with Ruiz after getting exposed like that?

 

Deontay Wilder: "I think getting exposed like that on a major stage in the United States when your people are talking so much crap and you get blown out like that...I don't think he takes the rematch. I don't think he's mentally strong enough to take the rematch. This was way too deep for him and another reason I strongly feel he's not going to take the rematch is that this man quit on the world stage. He didn't want to be in that fight anymore. The champion quit to the challenger...

 

GL: (cutting in) And seemed happy about it too.

 

DW: "He seemed happy like nothing just happened. I think he was just so relieved that all of that pressure isn't on him no more. He is relieved that it's over, he was singing and smiling, but a true champion is going to be locked up and sick as hell. You ain't going to be able to talk, you're not going to be able to eat. He's relieved because this wasn't him. I don't think he takes the rematch, but if he does take it and proves me wrong I think he gets knocked out again. Everybody has their percentage about this sport when it comes to mental and physical, and I think this game is 96% mental and 4% physical. I don't think he takes the rematch, but if he does he still gets knocked out in my opinion."

 

GL: Following that performance, where does the new unified champion Andy Ruiz, a PBC fighter like yourself, rank on your things to do list?

 

DW: "He's definitely up there, I'm going to let him enjoy his time. We know that when you win the belt that's not when you make the money, it's when you defend it that you start to make the real money. I'm going to let him enjoy his time, I've got to let him enjoy his time right now because I'm busy. I've announced two fights that I've got on schedule and that's very rare for a fighter like me to do. Hopefully he still got those belts when it's time for him to fight me. He's a champion now and he's got a target on his back. Everybody is looking for him now and that's just what comes with it. When you become a champion there's no more I ain't experienced enough, there's no I need more time or I'm not ready right now, you've got to come to the call of duty, you've got to respond and learn on the job. And that's ok because I've always said you've got to learn on the job, that's why I tell my kids they're going to school and they're going to learn a lot from them books, but there's also a lot more you're going from another book, called the book of life. With the book of life you're learning on the job."

 

GL: Before we get into those two fights you just mentioned, you made it clear that you didn't like Dominic Breazeale and you were looking to put a hurting on him. Are you satisfied with your performance and what took you so long?

 

DW: (laughs) "I'm definitely satisfied with my performance. It was just me continuing with the slogan of you speak it, you believe it and then achieve it. I really mean what I say and I do as I say. My actions speak louder than my words. Dominic was talking for two years and he did something that he wasn't supposed to do and the burden was on him. He's the one who came out with all of the lies, I can admit my wrong doing, but I want you to do the same and be a man, tell your part. Don't go around and try to make it seem like you was a victim in the situation when you started the whole situation. There comes a time when you're going to have to back up everything that you said and that night he didn't back up nothing. Now he's been humiliated on the world level. People are making memes of him all over and that's the best revenge you can get on a person. People know his name now for all the wrong reasons, and I'm satisfied with my performance, that's what you call not getting paid for overtime baby."

 

GL: You hit him with that right hand and then busted a quick spin move, did you know that was a fight ending punch?

 

DW: "Most definiely. When I punched him I heard his body drop on the canvas and the crowd's reaction was even more of an indication, they went crazy. I didn't have to look at him. I popped and spun on out of there into the neutral corner, it was just an amazing night."

 

GL: Unlike the twelfth round knockdown of Tyson Fury, did it feel good to have a fight ending punch actually end the fight? (laughs)

 

DW: "Most definitely. It was amazing to just get in there and get out. I don't get paid for overtime."

 

GL: You recently announced the rematch with Luis Ortiz. I've been hearing September, when exactly will it take place? 

 

DW: "It could be some time in September or it could be at the end of the year. We're still trying to figure it out and we're still trying to get venues and things of that nature. We're going to get ready to wrap it up sooner than later and we're going to come out with the announcement of where it is, and all of those details so people can get their schedules together. The main thing about it is people knowing about it and being aware of it, and hopefully people are looking forward to another great fight. Luis Ortiz got offended that I said I'm looking through him, and he misconstrued through as looking past him, it's two different things. No, I don't look past no fighter, I train as if they were the champion. But I do look through you, I window shop a little bit because it's motivating me to be able to say if I beat him and when I beat him, this is the next step, I'm going here. I have to be motivated to get you out of there because I know who I am and I know where I want to go and you're in my way, so I got to look through you for now until that time comes so that I can be able to get you out of my way. And that's all that is, like I told him 'You don't have to worry about my words because I've said many things and I've backed it up' 41 fights, 40 knokouts and I've backed up every word that I've said, I truly walk it like I talk it and I'm going to continue to do that for the rest of my career."

 

GL: Why fight Ortiz again if you don't have to? Does this just boil down to wanting to face the best available opposition?

 

DW: "Most definitely. I want to fight the best and I want to give another chance to a guy nobody gives chances to. They don't give him the opportunity and I've got ties with him too. He's got a daughter with special needs and I have one too. We've got a bond with that, but as you can see from the first fight that's not going to prevent us from doing what we're looking to do to each other. He's coming in there looking to knock me out and I'm going in there looking to do the same. That's the best part about it, because after it's over with, we can hug and do whatever else there is to do. Whenever it comes to Ortiz people love to say that he's old, but if he's so old everybody should be giving him opportunities, but that's just an excuse they use because they know he's very dangerous, or seems like a threat. I'm fighting him again to show the world that these scary motherfuckers don't want to fight him one time, well, I'm doing it again."

 

GL: When you announced the Ortiz fight you made it clear that contracts have been signed, has the second bout you mentioned, a rematch with Tyson Fury that far along? How confident are you that it'll really happen?

 

DW: "That fight is definitely going to happen, it has to happen. Fury ain't got nowhere to go and he can't go nowhere. He don't control his career, he's under contract with other people who control his career. Fury doesn't want to fight me again, period. He's satisfied with the draw and he wants to run with a moral victory because of what the commentators from Showime said and what the referee did. Jack Reis will never referee another one of my fights again. He said he went by the spirit of boxing, not the rules of boxing. He said he did what was right for boxing, no motherfucker, the right thing to do is your job and count the man out. That wasn't right for boxing and it wasn't fair to me, but at the end of the day thank God because controversy sells as well. It only makes the fight bigger now and it makes the people want to look for something. Controversy sells and we're going to be able to do it again, but he ain't going to be getting back up this time. I knocked Tyson Fury unconscious. I knocked some marbles out his head. When a man doesn't know how he got knocked onto the ground or how he got up, that ain't no good sign. His family don't even want him to fight me again. He doesn't want to either, but he's got to. I came back and fought a killer and then another killer and now I'm running it back with both of them again. That should tell you a lot about my character and what I'm trying to do in this sport. I'm the most exciting heavyweight in this division and I have the most exciting knockouts in the division, some would even say that I'm the hardest hitting heavyweight in history period. I'm just excited about where the heavyweight division is now and where it's going, and I'm leading the way in America for it."

 

GL: Closing thoughts for the fans.

 

DW: "To all my beautiful and lovely fans I just want to say thank you and I appreciate you guys from the bottom of my heart. You guys have supported me for so long, especially the ones who have supported me from day one. It's been an amazing journey for me and it's been a blessing to be able to display my talents to the thousands in the crowd and the millions that are watching on television each and everytime I perform. Now we're here baby, we're at the top of the mountain, but we're not going to stop here. We didn't come this far just to come this far. We're in this for generational wealth and to build an iconic legacy baby. Give me my flowers now while I'm performing for y'all and can smell them. You just never know what's going to happen in this sport, but this is an exciting time for us. I appreciate you guys, thank you so much and I'm looking forward to performing for you guys again. There will be one champion, one name, one face and he goes by the name of Deontay Wilder baby...BOMBZQUADDDDD!"