Deontay Wilder motivated to become the next big heavyweight

Heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder has the punching power and personality, not to mention the growing fan base in his home state of Alabama, to be become one of boxing's biggest stars.

And that is the plan for the first American heavyweight titleholder since Shannon Briggs lost his belt nearly a decade ago. Wilder hopes someday to fill the void left by Floyd Mayweather, who, as expected, announced his retirement following his whitewash of Andre Berto in their welterweight championship fight on Sept. 12.

"After Floyd went out, up pops Deontay Wilder. That's the plan," Wilder said. "That's always been the plan, and I'm making sure that that plan is played out like it's supposed to. I am the heavyweight champion, and the heavyweights are the cream of the crop and now it's our turn.

"We're bringing it back. Floyd has done a marvelous job with his career and stuff like that, but now it's my turn. Now it's time for the big guys to rule like they once were and I'm the man for the job."

Said Jay Deas, Wilder's co-manager and trainer, "America has been wanting a heavyweight that is charismatic, energetic, wants to fight often, has a knockout punch, has the looks and everything that the heavyweight champ should have. He's the man for the job."

While the recognized heavyweight world champion is Wladimir Klitschko, who has held his title for more than nine years, unified three major belts and made 18 title defenses, Wilder has done well sparring with him and hopes to fight him sooner than later to unify their titles in what would be, by far, boxing's biggest heavyweight fight.

But that match is probably about a year away at the earliest, so Wilder is going to remain active, continue to build his name and popularity and hone his skills, the critics of his opposition -- of which there are legion -- be damned.

"I don't care about what other people think about it," Wilder said. "I don't care about what people write, I don't care about what people say. I don't even read anything. All I do is train and that's my life."