‘He looked like a shot fighter’: Warren talks Wilder’s latest loss, fight atmosphere in Saudi Arabia
Frank Warren disagrees about Saudi cards not having great energy in the crowd.
Queensbury promoter Frank Warren appeared on talkSPORT Boxing to discuss one of his recent events with the big heavyweight card held in Saudi Arabia. While the matchups themselves were good, Warren was eventually pressed about the lack of excitement in the atmosphere during these Saudi cards, and if there’s anything that can change that. Here are some excerpts of what he had to say with the full video in the link above.
Warren on the Day of Reckoning card in Saudi Arabia
“I thought that Deontay — he only had one round in two years and he looked like that. To be honest, he looked like a fighter who seen better days and Joseph Parker boxed brilliantly. They got the tactics right, him and Andy Lee. I thought he boxed extremely well and I don’t want to take anything away from him, and Deontay just wasn’t at the races.
“I thought AJ done extremely well. I was a bit disappointed though in Wallin because I was expecting a bit more from him. But having said that, (Joshua) didn’t let him get into the fight so you’ve got to take your hat off to him for his performance.”
On the atmosphere, or lack thereof, during these Saudi cards
“I don’t agree with that (about the lack of atmosphere) and I’ll tell you why. It’s no different from when you have two foreign fighters fighting in the UK on the card and the people are engrossed in watching the fight because it’s not somebody who they can get behind as a nation. Sometimes that happens.
“It’s a pretty ridiculous conversation that we’re having here. There were good fights, I’m into boxing, you’re into listening to the crowds. I’ve got to say, I’ve got better things to do with my time than to have a debate about crap...”
On Wilder fighting like he only showed up for the paycheck
“Well of course he turned up for the money. They all did, that’s what they get paid for; they’re professional boxers. But I just think, at the end of the day, he looked like a shot fighter to me. That’s how he looked. And he’s come with various reasons behind the scenes which I’ve heard and whatever. But, you know, the proof has to be in the pudding and if he comes back and has another fight he couldn’t have another performance like that because it’ll definitely be all over for him.
“I think he’s got a big struggle to get himself back into it if he decides he wants to do that...having said that, you can’t take away what (Parker) did. Joe boxed extremely well Those overhand rights he was throwing, they were spot on. You’ve got to take your hat off to him for doing that.”
On a prospective Joshua vs Wilder fight now being dead
“Yeah. To resurrect that there’s got to be some sort of outstanding performance from Wilder.”