Does Wilder actually have to prove himself now before getting another shot?

I'd like to see him face one of the other guys in or around the top 5 before I think he's due a title shot. Him against Ruiz could be very interesting.

 

Now Povetkin is 100% shot, Wilder is probably going to fight him this time.

 

It's not even a matter of whether he deserves a shot. He needs a fight against someone given the length of his inactivity.

 

Sulaiman said months ago that Wilder should get a shot at his old belt if he comes back. I'd like to see Ruiz, Whyte, or AJ but with a new (no?) trainer and a long layoff I think we'll be lucky to get Helenius or Martin first time out.

I've been speculating he's retired but really 12-18 months off after a KO loss was not unheard of even before COVID.

 

Yes he does

But with the WBC he probably wont have to

 

I'd love to see him in with ruiz, we'd have deontay losing balance falling over his feet trying to get away from baby dinosaur armed ruiz, it would be hilarious to watch.

 

I'd like to see Wilder v Ruiz and the winner to face Joshua v Fury winner.
As a bonus, the losers of those fights against one another would be great too.

 

Yes. All former champions in Parker, Ruiz, Wilder and Martin need a win against a top opponent before they are even considered for a title shot.

Usyk or the winner of Usyk vs Joyce for the WBO mandatory. Whyte is the WBC interim and the winner of potential IBF eliminator in Hunter vs Hrgovic are all ahead of them.

 

Wilder v Whyte would be a good fight while it lasts.

 

Deontay Wilder doesn't have to prove anything. He was WBC heavyweight Champion for five years. He made 10 successful title defenses - which is more successful title defenses than Joshua, Parker, Fury, Ruiz and Martin have made COMBINED. He suffered one loss in 12 years - to the current world champ. It happens to them all, eventually.

He can take off all the time he wants and wait until Fury and Joshua settle matters and then challenge the winner - if he so chooses - and he'll get an immediate title fight just like Vitali and Wlad did when they decided to come back.

He can do anything he wants at this point.

 

To himself, yes...

 

Deontay still has his die hard fans does he!

 

I would assume the step-aside money would void any existing contract, especially as we are led to believe the three fights vs Fury were originally set down to be back-to-back and, therefore, the contract was seemingly broken by them not fighting next. Just an educated guess...

 

Errr probably, simply because the length of time he as been out now.

If he had a fight at the end of last year, even a soft touch, then I would say he would have needed to fight an eliminator against the winner of Whyte/Povetkin.

As much as we can slaughter his resume, Wilder made 10 defences of his title and got a draw with Fury.

Sure, the draw was dodgy as it comes but it's on his record, so I think he would have deserved to be right up there in the mix.

But time has move on, he is nowhere to be seen, no closer to a comeback, isn't making the right noises and other fighters are active and fighting, so he is slowly sliding down the list of the "deserving".