Right. In shape. Deontay Wilder has ALWAYS been in shape for fights. When has Wilder ever entered the ring as a fat pig? So, what exactly should Deontay Wilder have done to weigh 284 pounds ... so, being outweighed by Zhang WASN'T AN EXCUSE to you? Seriously, get your head out of your ass. The guy is always in shape for fights and has still been fighting heavier boxers for 14 years. Like I said, most would give any other fighter who consistently fought bigger men for 14 years - and was champion for five of those years - a "smidge" of credit for that.
Weight isn’t an issue in the heavyweight division unless you are tiny like Usyk. Wilder chooses to weigh what he does, he could easily be in the 240s and still be in good condition. Nobody gives miller credit for being +300lbs and yet you seem to think that weight is the be all and end all for a fighters ability.
Usyk weighs more than Wilder. Usyk isn't tiny. And he's only been fighting bigger men for seven years. And he gets ALL THE CREDIT when he does. Wilder's been doing it for twice as long. No recognition for it at all. I'd love it if Wilder fought Usyk next. Against guys who weigh the same or less, Wilder is unbeaten. It's the guys who outweigh him by four, six or eight divisions that tend to give him trouble. You can only be the lighter guy for so long. Usyk already talks about how hard it is to fight heavier guys. He's been doing it half as long and has a lot fewer pro fights. And Wilder's legs are thinner than Badou Jack's. He clearly doesn't have the build to be a superheavyweight. So he just gets in shape, and he always is in shape.
David Haye was outweighed by near 100 pounds vs Valuev and won John Ruiz was outweighed by about 100 as well. He lost, but didn't blame the weight Same with Holyfield. Lost controversially, didn't blame the near 100 lbs difference. Seems most in agreement here see Wilder's losing streak as a result of finally stepping up his comp.
Usyk is 6'3 and heavier than Wilder is, and using Usyk being "tiny" as an example when he isn't is exactly Dubblechin's point. Nobody gets credit for being heavier, but Usyk gets all the credit as a "giant slayer" when in reality he's been a heavyweight masquerading as a cruiserweight.
You guys pull these one-off wins ... to IGNORE that Wilder gave up weight to all but one guy (Herndon) for 14 years. And ignore that Haye was in his 20s when he fought Valuev. Haye wasn't approaching 40. And Haye sure as hell didn't give up weight to everyone he fought for 14 years. Still, by the time David Haye turned 35, he couldn't win a fight. Haye's legs were dead. Because fighting bigger fighters for a long time ... isn't easy. Yet you guys give Wilder NO CREDIT. Zero. And if "MOST" agree (in this biased thread) that Wilder loses when he steps up his competition ... But Wilder's still considered "too risky" (according to Hearn) for Joshua (the much heavier fighter) to fight ... even as Wilder approaches 41 ... Then what does that say about Anthony Joshua? Because they don't want the fight. They've been dodging it the entire 2020s. And we're more than halfway thru this decade. And Wilder's already in his 40s. Joshua isn't. I hope they fight. But we've been through this countless times now. They bring up Wilder ... then pivot. ARE "MOST" willing to agree that Joshua ISN'T a step up in competition for Wilder? No, I doubt it. But, if Wilder is as awful as this thread insists he is, why is he too "risky" for Joshua? How is a 40-year-old, chicken-legged, china-chinned, fraud, who never fought or beat anyone, and whose power is a myth ... TOO RISKY? Unless, Wilder is TOO RISKY and the people bashing Wilder in this thread are clowns? I vote for the latter.
Don't YOU GUYS ME. I speak for myself. Yes....you have all these great reasons why others beat a big guy and Wilder loses to them. He's just too tiny for Zhang and Fury!. Wilder too wittle!! Ignore?? Did I IGNORE The attendance because I didn't state it? Did I IGNORE the weather because I didn't say what it was? I made my point. Beating bigger guys have been a part of HW boxing since it's beginning. But now 6'7" chicken legs to the new Thumbalina.... He tiny! Damn, you're going to get a TON of mileage over what a promoter says about danger. If you watched boxing in the 80-90s you'd eat up EVERYTHING from Kind and Arum When Shelly said Wilder was not ready for Klistchko, did you whole heartedly agree a TITLE HOLDER was not ready to unify? Wilder v AJ is NOT officially scrapped. But you are acting like it is because you need a win like WIlder needs a win.
If according to Eddie Hearn in 2026, 41 year old shot to pieces Wilder is still "too risky" for Joshua then it doesn't take much reflection to realise that an undefeated early 30's Wilder who'd dropped or stopped everyone he'd fought was far, far too risky for a Joshua who was on the cusp of being exposed by Ruiz.
Sorry, but this is nonsense. Usyk took two fights at HW and then took on the best/biggest named fighters in the division. They're fighters who are considerably bigger than Usyk, fighting at that weight their who careers and they were the "Elite" Heavyweights of this Era, for what that's worth. Deontay Wilder has ZERO wins over any opponent who either was, or went on to become, a bonafide World Champion. It's a disgrace that is the case for a guy who held the WBC belt for 5 years. The reason for that is Deontay Wilder is a manufactured champion, who only held a belt because of his Nationality.