Which of the old school trainers would have made Deontay Wilder great?

Emmanuel Stewart specialized in tall fighters with long arms that could punch. He could have done something with Wilder.

 

Steward comes to mind but really Wilder did not have the amateur experience needed to be really great. With his body type and leverage he needed more seasoning and boxing skills, and once he was hit he couldn't fall back on anything.

 

Yep. If you want to play a time machine game, bring back Steward, hand him a 12yr old Wilder walking into a boxing gym for the first time, then fast forward 15 years. Trained from the start as a complete fighter and not the "ok, you can crack, we're good to go" training it seems he got, he could have been something much greater than he was/is. He's got height, reach, power, athleticism, heart, the ability to stay in shape (you'd never see Wilder showing up with Hrgovic's dad bod, he's always jacked and in shape). There's a hell of a lot to work with there.

 

Who would he have listened to?

 

None. Wilder is unteachable.

 

I wonder what Bob Fitzsimmons could’ve made out of Wilder. He is credited with improving Jeffries’ offensive game after their rematch, and is also credited with mentoring Gans. I wonder what freak of nature Wilder would’ve become under his teaching.

 

None of them, because Wilder only listens to Wilder.

This is like saying that Roberto Duran would have been an ATG heavyweight. Yeah, IF he weighed 230lb.

IF Wilder listened to his trainers he might still be world champion.

 

If everyone saying he doesn't listen is correct no-one i guess.

Thing is he didn't have to develop too much. Heck all he needed was an educated and well utilized left jab and he would have rose at least one level. I'm not convinced he had much wind tho personally. Yeah his power stayed dangerous late but anyone's would with that output or lack thereof at times. Getting more active with his punches and skills may have been a double edged sword.

 

I don't rate Duva or Certo.Steward is the possibility that comes to mind.

 

Quite likely.

Maybe with enough time and persistence an improvement (consistent jab) might have been introduced, but I get the impression that Wilder just wasn't the sharpest tool in the box.

 

This. Physically he is all there. It's just that space between his ears that needs to develop.