Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Tuesday 21 February 2017
Big punching Wilder believes he can save heavyweights

TIM DAHLBERG some sluggers.
AP Sports Columnist “The fans, they want to see
Deontay Wilder was in the Joshua and Wilder,” Wilder
Super Bowl media center in said. “They’re not really
Houston a few days before worried about Klitschko.
the game when a some- We could fight at the end
what familiar face walked of the year with a big unifi-
by. cation bout.”
Wilder and his girlfriend rec- First, Wilder has some work
ognized Andrew Zimmern, to do against Washington,
who stars in the “Bizarre who is undefeated himself
Foods” show on the Travel in 19 fights. The big story line
Channel. More telling, per- figures to be how well Wild-
haps, was that Zimmern er comes back from a bro-
recognized him. ken hand and torn bicep
“I’m a big fan, champ,” suffered in his knockout win
Zimmern said before en- last July against Chris Arre-
gaging Wilder in a friendly ola.
chat and posing for pic- Wilder admits he became
tures with the heavyweight somewhat depressed after
champion. Povetkin tested positive,
A small thing, maybe. But and he lost a chance to
to a fighter with a goal of In this July 16, 2016, file photo, Deontay Wilder, left, throws a left at Chris Arreola during the WBC make his name against him
heavyweight title boxing bout in Birmingham, Ala.
making the heavyweight Associated Press in Russia. He’s also been
division must-see once frustrated at the pace of
again it was a promising interim years you’d be hard Wilder’s home state of Ala- thony Joshua, but that will his chase for a big fight
sign of progress. pressed to find a heavy- bama, far from boxing’s have to wait, too. against one of the other
It’s no secret the state of the weight — champion or not biggest lights, doesn’t help So Wilder is defending his heavyweight champions.
heavyweight division has — that most boxing fans the cause much. title for the fourth time in Bir- “I’m just staying patient,
been abysmal. Hijacked by could identify much less re- That’s not entirely Wilder’s mingham while continuing which is the hardest part
the Klitschko brothers and late to. fault, though the 6-foot-7 to dream of bigger things. of this sport,” he said. “You
in dire need of some punch “One man having all the slugger has been criticized It’s not easy being patient, can only control so much,
and personality, it has be- belts is going to play a some for taking the slow especially when Joshua is so I don’t get my hopes up.
come a forgotten part of a major factor,” Wilder said. road to the top since win- defending his title against The world would be perfect
beleaguered sport. “Even to me as a champi- ning a bronze medal in the Wladimir Klitschko before if everything went as the
Wilder believes he can on, it’s confusing. Who has 2008 Olympics. Study a list an expected 90,000 peo- way we wanted it to go,
change all that. what belt? And if it’s con- of his opponents, and it’s ple on April 29 in London in but that’s not the case.”
“We need to see who’s the fusing to me I know it’s con- clear that his 37-0 (with 36 one of the more fascinat- Wilder did score a big win in
No. 1 guy, who’s the bad- fusing to the average fan.” knockouts) record wasn’t ing heavyweight fights of a New York courtroom just
dest man on the planet,” Wilder won’t do much to exactly built against the recent times. after the Super Bowl when
Wilder said. “That’s the title I advance his claim to the best of what has been a Wilder wants the winner a judge ruled in his favor in
want, the baddest man on heavyweight crown on bad division. for a title unification fight, trying to collect his $5 mil-
the planet.” Saturday when he de- But he was on his way last though it’s unlikely to hap- lion purse for the aborted
That title, of course, used to fends his title against Ger- year to board a flight to pen until 2018 at the earli- Povetkin fight.
be held by Mike Tyson, who ald Washington, a fighter Russia to fight a hometown est. He hopes it is Joshua, But the former waiter at
truly was the baddest man so unknown that even opponent when Alexander the 2012 Olympic gold Red Lobster insists he is
on the planet at one time. Wilder found it difficult to Povetkin tested positive for medalist for England who is more worried about build-
But that was more than two say much about him. That meldonium. He wants a big already a big star at home, ing a legacy than cashing
decades ago, and in the the fight will take place in fight against England’s An- in a matchup of two fear- in.q

Wozniacki wins Dubai opener after Doha final

BY SANDRA HARWITT semifinalist at the Australian Riske said. “But she was how I was able to just stay
Associated Press Open, were winning team- starting to get back in focused out there from the
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- mates on the U.S. Fed Cup rhythm in the second set beginning,” said Wozniacki,
ates (AP) — In an all-Amer- team that defeated Ger- there.” who won the Dubai title in
ican matchup, Alison Riske many 4-0 in the first round Caroline Wozniacki won 2011. “It’s much different
upset 11th-seeded Coco two weekends ago. They her first-round match over conditions here. The ball
Vandeweghe 6-4, 6-4 to arrived in Dubai straight Daria Kasatkina of Russia is flying. The court is faster
move into the second from Maui on Wednesday. 6-2, 7-5. The 10th-seeded than in Doha.”
round at the Dubai Cham- Vandeweghe seemed to Wozniacki reached the American teen Cici Bel-
pionships on Monday. have difficulty getting her Doha final last week before lis, playing her first official
The unseeded Riske, mak- firepower going, which losing to Karolina Pliskova. match of 2017, upset 17th
ing her Dubai debut, has is the cornerstone of her Wozniacki surrendered her seed Yulia Putintseva of Ka-
won four of their last five game. In the second set, serve twice in the match - zakhstan 6-1, 7-5.
Caroline Wozniacki of Den- outings. four of the last five games in the first game of the first Monica Puig, the Olympic
mark serves the ball to Daria “I have no idea of that stat, were service breaks before set and the third game of gold medalist from Puerto
Kasatkina of Russia during the
Dubai Tennis Championships, but I’ll happily take it,” Riske Riske served out the match the second set - but other- Rico, needed more than
in Dubai, United Arab Emir- said, smiling. “It’s in my fa- at love. wise was in control of the two hours to get past Yaro-
ates, Monday, Feb. 20, 2017. vor.” “She was having a little dif- court. slava Shvedova of Kazakh-
Associated Press Riske and Vandeweghe, a ficulty with her first serves,” “I was really pleased with stan 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.q