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

No i dont think so. Hes still top 3-4 best heavyweights in the world and would be a huge fight for either Fury or Joshua in the future right out the gate. But as of now he has to wait it out and take a fight with a top 10 opponent just to shake off the rust. Id like to see him in there with Whyte next tbh.

 

Exactly.

 

AJ has beaten six opponents better than any fighters Wilder has beaten (Wlad, Povetkin,Whyte, Parker, Ruiz and Pulev) .

Getting a dodgy decison draw of which the vast majority of people thought he lost would add nothing to his resume.

 

He just has to prove his power is still there to get another title shot.

I think the organisations may want to relegate him down the order though and end up putting him with a big banger like Arslanbek Makhmudov to spice up the division.

 

The last thing that goes is power so I'm certain he still has it.

He gave up the 3rd fight with Fury (which was a joke in itself even having a 3rd fight) so he has to earn his shot again for me. He can't just expect to push ahead of guys who have jumped ahead of him in the queue. Only for the WBC belt could he expect any type of queue-jumping, being a long-standing (albeit against poor opposition) titleholder.

 

Wilder had a chance to go for unified champion and make a legacy for himself in the sport, as well as make the same $ for one fight that regular working people would literally need to work millions of hours to earn.

He turned that opportunity down, or at the very least didn't go all out to try to make it happen.

If he's the genuine #3 HW then he should feel fairly confident in taking on an opponent a few places below him to make a statement.

 

Wilder can do what he wants..... long reigning WBC world champion.

That said, he's made himself look an absolute buffoon following the Fury fight and I'm not interested in seeing that fight again. Fury has outboxed him (robbed) and then morphed into Kronk Fury, went on the front foot and smashed him to pieces.

Styles make fights however and for me he is still the most dangerous fighter in the division. That right hand is a nuclear weapon.

Wilder v Whyte would be fireworks. Left hook v Right hand.

 

Or get stopped, Ruiz has quicker hands than anybody Wilder has fought.

 

Quite possible. This is the only fight I'd pay to see at this point. I don't see any of the other contenders being as interesting.

 

The WBC are slimy. They'll no doubt let Fury vs Joshua play out for all the belts, and then give the belt back to Wilder and promote Fury/AJ to 'stupid title champion'.

 

Not sure if they would be able to pay The Worm to take another dive.. He might want what was rightly his the first time..