Heavyweight Chris Arreola is one of the most fan-friendly fighters in the division, and hoped to earn a title shot vs. Deontay Wilder for the WBC belt by defeating Fred Kassi on Saturday. Instead, Arreola was sluggish vs. the unheralded opponent and fought him to an unsatisfying draw.
Afterward, Arreola commented on a potential Wilder fight and said himself he's not in the running.
"Hell no I don't deserve it. With a performance like this I don't deserve it. I'll be honest with you I don't deserve Deontay Wilder right now. I've got to put on a good performance and this was s**t," Arreola said.
Wilder's next fight is scheduled for September, but his opponent has yet to be determined. Arreola said he also plans on fighting again in September to wash away the stink of this fight.
"I'll be back in September, the sooner the better. I just want to put on better performances than this and get better opponents who will actually fight me."
It was the second straight showcase fight that became a mortal struggle for Arreola. He fought an eight-round bout vs. Curtis Harper in March that wound up being one of the most brutal fights of the year so far, winning by unanimous decision.
Wilder is 2-0 in 2015. He defeated Bermane Stiverne in January to win the WBC belt, and proved he could fight a full 12 rounds in the process. Stiverne was the first Wilder opponent who did not lose by knockout; in fact, Stiverne was rocked several times, but never even hit the canvas.
Then, Wilder took on Eric "Drummer Boy" Molina in June. Wilder was rocked early on, but recovered and eventually stopped Molina in the ninth round.
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