I don’t believe Wilder is a lock. Yes I have the other three names you mentioned as going into the HOF. Usyk, Fury, Joshua. As for Dubois no he isn’t there yet, these belts are worthless, way to much politics behind them rather than honestly labeled a champion. Dubios has 4 nice wins on his ledger and at 28 years of age he has a chance to build on that, and get in, but at moment no he is not a hall of famer.
I wonder what the odds would be on Wilder getting in the HoF. I would not be surprised if it is 1/10 at this point. The odds get better if American HW's continue to underperform, which seems likely. In America, which is where they vote after all, Wilder is surely regarded as greater than Joshua, who is still marred by the Ruiz upset of the year. My question was whether Dubois is on a likely HoF trajectory, not whether he would get in right now. As it stands I don't think he would but he could be close already. At 28 he still has a lot of time to add more too.
If he's going in it will be in the non-Lineal Heavyweight champs section that is yet to be built. There's been speculation that AJ will get in but his plaque will be in the hallway leading to the restrooms. Deontay's plaque (if he goes in) is mooted to be IN the restrooms. In Dubois' case, there's plenty to like about where he is right now. He's got an alphabet belt, is big & strong, has a decent engine, a powerful thudding jab & punches plenty hard. He may not be able to beat Usyk but he's going to be a handful for everyone else. The best could be yet to come.
They don't have a dedicated non-Lineal Heavyweight champs section yet. With the ranks in this category potentially swelling (AJ & Deontay would double their numbers) it makes sense for them to get right on it. There's only so many plaques you can fit next to the broom closet before it starts to get ridiculous.
I think he's already in there as a 2x champion with multiple stadium fights and multiple PPV events, but I think there are fighters in there who shouldn't be in there, too, especially British fighters like Froch and Hatton. The bar should be higher, or the criteria should be more clearly defined and achievement-driven. Realistically speaking, the only HOF heavyweight in the last decade is Usyk.
Norton got in shortly after the IBHOF became a thing (and he never even won a title fight officially) so it is fair to say that lineal champ status has never been a requirement, nor has lineal status been sufficient for a fighter to get in.
Popularity gets people in. As does the whim of the Americans who decide who to include. As has already been pointed out, there's plenty in there who shouldn't be. It devalues the whole thing. I'd begin the cull of the unworthy by BOOTING OUT any non-Lineal Heavyweight champs.
@Rumsfeld Hit the nail on the head here, Dubois is young. He has time especially when you look at the ages of the top fighters around him. My two cents: Fury, Parker and Usyk are old guard, AJ, Hrgovic and Wardley have all lost to him already so the only real threat is Kabayel, not Itauma who has had fourteen fights. I just don't see Moses facing Dubois anytime soon cause he's not headbutt, elbow or low-blow proof and too hot a prospect to rush into a possible mauling Salido Lomachenko style. Dubois could potentially avoid Agit, stack up some wins against everyone else including Parker and coast into the HOF with key wins over AJ, Parker, two former world champions.
Dubois tanked some huge shots from Wardley and AJ. He’s weird. I think it’s all mental with him, and that his chin is actually great.
Rahman as well, and he was the "actual man", as short a time as that was. And he was a very recognizable name on the world stage for a very long time and he's not in. At HW the only absolute lock IMO is Usyk. Fury, Joshua, Wilder I think are on a tightrope, although I think they may all possibly stumble in.