Deontay Wilder: praise and criticism

1) Won the National Golden Gloves and the U.S. National Championships in 2007 and a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics at 91 KG on 34 months boxing experience and 34 amateur bouts before he turned 23. Outpointed the 25 year old, 11 year amateur veteran, 2007 World Championship silver medallist and future 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medallist Chakhkiev over 4 rounds in Russia, 6 months prior to winning Olympic bronze. Wilder was the only American on their nine man team to medal at the Beijing Olympics, in a squad containing four other future world title holders and the only American male to medal over two Olympic cycles (2008-2012), with the 2012 team also containing five future titlists

2) Earmarked as the best heavyweight prospect after Fury by Emanuel Steward in July 2012

3) Won the WBC belt in 2015 to become the first American heavyweight champion since 2007, which was by far the longest world title drought in the history of American heavyweight boxing. Made 10 consecutive heavyweight title defences (9 by KO) over 5 years, which is more than Tyson (KO’d by Douglas), Lewis (KO’d by Rahman) and Vitali (retirement) recorded: aside from Wlad, no heavyweight champion has had a longer unbroken reign since 1985

4) Went 43 fights unbeaten over 11 years and was only knocked down once during this time. Wilder knocked down the 6'7.5, 257-277 lbs, No.1 ranked lineal champion four times over three fights and drew with him once: the only Fury opponent thus far to not exclusively lose to him

5) Weighed the least of any heavyweight champion since 2010 (212.5 lbs) while making a successful title defence (Wilder-Fury 1, 2018). One of only three “bridgerweights” (sub-225 lbs) to win a heavyweight title fight since October 2007 among fourteen heavyweight champions. Outweighed in 40/47 fights, in 25 consecutive from June 2012 and by 20+ lbs in 24 fights but still possessed possibly the biggest single punch in boxing history

6) Record of 43-3-1, 89% KO ratio, 88% against 215+ lbs opponents: the highest of any heavyweight champion in history, scored the 2019 Ring knockout of the year, put together a 32 fight KO streak (all within 4 rounds) and had 21 first round KO's

7) Defeated top 6 Ring ranked opponents on three occasions (Stiverne 3rd, Ortiz 5th and 6th) and fought top 7 Ring ranked opponents seven times (Fury 7th, 1st and 1st, Parker 6th)

8) Top 2/3 Ring ranked heavyweight in 8 consecutive years (2016-2023) and top 11 Ring ranked since 2013

9) Highest Ring ranked heavyweight active in the 518 day period between Wlad-Fury and Joshua-Wlad

10) Competed in a historic heavyweight championship trilogy with Fury, with the third fight arguably being one of the greatest of all time. This was especially impressive as Wilder (who had fired longtime trainer Mark Breland for not allowing him to go out on his shield) was coming back from a brutal and embarrassingly one-sided beating in the 2nd fight, had received near-unprecedented ridicule for this defeat over a 595 day period and believed that his career and legacy were on the line

11) The most significant American heavyweight of the 21st century

Criticisms

1) Almost exclusively fought at home with A-side advantage

2) Had his pro career directed by cautious American management, fought lower level opposition in his first 4 years and 25 pro fights and fought middling opposition for 5 years and 14 fights after that

3) Never beat Fury, lost to him twice and ended his career as a contender on a whimper against former titlist Parker

 

"In his defense, the first Fury fight was a cherry pick gone bad."

Fury was still regarded as a top 2 heavyweight excluding Wilder, even with question marks surrounding his condition. It was more of a gamble than a cherry pick. And it didn't really go bad first time as Wilder got a draw, albeit controversial. It only really went bad in the rematch.

 

"He didn’t choose Fury because he thought he was the toughest opponent."

Obviously, he fought Fury because of the risk-reward calculations (this is what management does). They were hoping for a seriously diminished Fury but they knew that wasn't guaranteed. The fact that Fury was taking the fight suggested that Fury believed he was going to win and that he was a good enough version of himself to do so on the road. Wilder gets more credit for fighting unbeaten lineal champion Fury, who was rated as one of the top 3 HW's according to the odds and the experts, than he does for fighting anyone else with the exception of an unbeaten Joshua.

"Fury kicked his ass in the eyes of everyone but the three blind mice judges."

75-80% thought Fury outpointed him but Fury could have easily been waved off by the ref in the last round and it wouldn't have been all that controversial. He came closer to beating Fury than anyone (1 point on one card, a subjective ref call and 0.5 seconds). I'd have rather been Wilder that night than Fury, who certainly took most of the damage. The judges favoured Wilder relative to fan opinion but that was pretty much baked into the cake going in: Wilder had A-side, home advantage and was a long-reigning titlist.

"He had to give him a rematch to redeem himself"

No he didn't. It was a draw so there was no obligation. Wilder could have fought Kownacki or whoever over a rematch with Fury, which was close to 50-50 oddswise. Wilder stepped up in 2018 and his competition level ever since has been high.

There's fair criticism and there's being a one-note hater who will give zero credit for anything.

 

Wilder is finished and should retire. In fact, Helenius should have been his last fight. If he continues it's just cash outs from here on.

 

Wlad and Whyte gave Joshua hard fights but were easy mode for Fury. Chisora gave Usyk a hard fight but was easy mode for Fury. Joshua and Parker have both lost three times, they are irrelevant.

 

He showed very little against Parker but at least Wilder has been thrashed twice and aged substantially before he performed like that. Joshua was quitting and drifting to points losses in his best years.

 

Losing three times stripped Joshua of his titles and removed him from the championship picture, same goes for Parker. Same goes for Wilder and two loss Ruiz.

That's why Fury and Usyk are contesting undisputed, not the losers. Who finishes on top of the era is determined by that fight.