Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder seeks crowd-pleasing schedule

Deontay Wilder has to agree to a mandatory title defense by October.

In a refreshing move, the heavyweight world champion from Alabama wants to squeeze in a fight even before he takes his obligated challenge from Russia’s Alexander Povetkin.

Wilder (34-0, 33 knockouts), who came to Los Angeles this past weekend to attend the BET Awards, told The Times on Monday he’s planning a Sept. 26 main event on NBC against another challenger, someone such as unbeaten Ukrainian Vyacheslav Glazkov (20-0-1, 12 KOs) or Lucas Browne, a veteran fighter who’s been using social media to call out Wilder.

After that and Povetkin, Wilder said he’ll pursue a date against three-belt heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko sometime in 2016. Wilder previously was a Klitschko sparring partner.

“In my eyes, that’s a fight that happens next year – middle or late – he has a lot of mandatories to fulfill too,� Wilder said.

“I’m ready for anyone in the world. I’m the champion. If I’m not ready now, then I’m in bad luck. A champion has to stay ready. All these guys are getting ready for me.�

The 29-year-old knocked out Eric Molina on June 13 in his home state of Alabama on CBS, but some fans came away unconvinced of Wilder’s staying power as a champion because the journeyman Molina landed punches.

“I’m always going to be my own biggest critic,� Wilder said. “You always want to take something from your last fight to make you better. Once I feel I’m not learning, I’m done. You can always get better.

“Every fight’s not going to be a pretty fight. I made a couple of mistakes [against Molina], he capitalized like he was supposed to, but I recognize it. I adjusted, threw jabs.�

Wilder said it was a challenge avoiding getting caught up in bringing the heavyweight belt to Birmingham earlier this month.

“For some, it was the highlight of their year. Some people who aren’t blessed financially … to go to a heavyweight title fight in their own backyard, it meant so much to them. It makes me feel good, to continue to be the best at what I do.�

That’s part of Wilder’s drive to fight four heavyweight title fights in one calendar year.

“People are gravitating to me,� Wilder said. “I don’t feel I’m bigger and better than anyone. A man who didn’t know me was watching me meet fans the other day and he said, ‘Just your spirit, the way people approach you, I could tell I wanted to meet you and take a picture with you, too.’

“I like people to see that part of me.�