Wilder excited to defend WBC heavyweight title in home state

To become heavyweight champion of the world, Deontay Wilder had to go into his opponent’s backyard and take the title from him.

On Saturday on Showtime, Wilder (33-0, 32 knockouts) will remember the lesson from January against Bermane Stiverne when the Tuscaloosa, Ala., native makes the first defense of his World Boxing Council belt against Eric Molina in Birmingham, Ala.

“I’m excited about coming to my home state of Alabama,” Wilder said Wednesday on a conference call. “When I set forth becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, I got one part of it becoming the heavyweight champion, the WBC heavyweight champion of the world. I’ve still got a long way to go, but I’m honored and pleased to have my very first title defense in Alabama.

“We’re going to make history come June 13 of having the first title fight of any division in the state of Alabama, and that’s a pleasure and definitely an honor to me. So, me and Eric will definitely … we’ll be witnessing and making history come June 13.”

Wilder outpointed Stiverne, who lives in Las Vegas, on Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden to win Stiverne’s title. It was the first time Wilder went 12 rounds and the first time he didn’t knock out his opponent.

But he’s looking to begin a new streak against Molina (23-2, 17 KOs).

“I don’t go in there and try to look for the knockout, anyway,” Wilder said. “I go in there and let my hands go, and if I get the knockout, I get it. I would prefer the knockout, of course. This is a heavyweight division. It’s all based about power. When people get dressed up and come out to that fight, they come to see a knockout. They want to see a couple of rounds or whatever, to see what kind of skill and will that person has, maybe a little heart, and then they want to see the knockout because they’ve got other things planned for that night.

“And when they come to see a Deontay Wilder fight, that’s what I want to bring them. I want to bring them knockouts, but that last fight, it meant so much more than just a knockout because I wanted to prove to people what I was capable of doing. I think that particular night, winning a title, that was the perfect moment to prove what I’m capable of doing and what I’m all about. So now it’s time to get back on to my knockout squeeze like people expect from me, and that’s what I want to do, so here we go, baby.”

■ MANNY WILL WAIT — If the Nevada Athletic Commission ultimately decides to question Manny Pacquiao about his shoulder injury, it will be next month.

Pacquiao is not on the agenda for Thursday’s commission meeting in Las Vegas. Pacquiao lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden, and afterward Pacquiao said he fought with a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.

But Pacquiao indicated on his prefight medical form that he was not hurt. Yet, two hours before entering the ring, he was trying to get a painkiller shot administered to the shoulder, which the commission denied.

“We’re still gathering information surrounding what happened,” NAC chairman Francisco Aguilar said Friday. “We still want to talk to Mr. Pacquiao, and we intend to. But we want to make sure there’s due process here, and we want to make sure everything is done properly.”

■ POSITIVE TEST — Lightweight Ray Beltran tested positive for the anabolic steroid Stanizolol after his May 1 knockout of Takahiro Ao at The Cosmopolitan.

Beltran was supposed to fight for the vacant World Boxing Organization title, but he failed to make weight the day before. Ao was eligible to win the belt but was stopped in the second round. The WBO title remains vacant.

Beltran will be placed on suspension by the NAC pending a disciplinary hearing next month. He was scheduled to fight on the undercard of the June 27 Timothy Bradley-Jessie Vargas bout in Carson, Calif., but has been pulled from the card.

■ SAVE THE DATE — Mayweather Promotions will ask the commission on Thursday to reserve the date of Sept. 12 at the MGM Grand Garden for Mayweather’s next fight. Mayweather (48-0) has not decided on an opponent.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.