By Edward Chaykovsky

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer has now placed undefeated heavyweight puncher Deontay Wilder (30-0, 30KOs) within reach of a world title shot.

Wilder will face his good friend, Malik Scott, in a WBC final eliminator on March 15th in Puerto Rico. The WBC title was vacated by Vitali Klitschko. In the coming months, Bermane Stiverne and Chris Arreola will fight each other in a rematch for the vacant belt.

After the smoke clears, Schaefer plans to push for Wilder to get the Arreola-Stiverne winner in his next fight, provided Wilder comes through with a win next month.

“[The Arreola-Stiverne winner] will have to fight [Wilder] whether they like it or not, they have to,” Schaefer said to the Tuscaloosa News. “We have worked towards this [title shot] and now we are getting there.”

“The winner of this fight here will be the next mandatory for the winner of Arreola-Stiverne. The WBC rules stipulate that when two fighters fight for a vacant title, they will have to do an immediate mandatory and the winner of Deontay Wilder and Malik Scott will be that mandatory."