Deontay Wilder -A rising contender in the early - Mid 80s?

Cooney is a big risk. Size wise they are pretty similar and both can punch. But Cooney might have better fundamentals.

Dokes could be a real issue for him provided he has laid off the coke. Fast hands, good boxing skills and decent power.

Weaver and Berbick are both there to be hit so a bit of a 50/50 there?

 

There was a version of Wilder in the late
70's early 80's.
Jeff Simms.

 

Wilder might have a chance against Cooney but Cooney has more to him than Wilder. It would be a good fight still.

 

Agree. Weaver was a big puncher but I like Wilder's durability better. I think he could eventually catch Berbick with something nasty.

 

That dude had no stamina and no chin. Was a murderous puncher but probably not quite like Wilder. Nor was he 6’7”

 

I don’t think wilder dominates in the 80s but I think he goes far and probably picks up a belt. The 80s wasn’t exactly the decade of heavyweights devoted to training, iron chins or boundless talent. Bonecrusher smith who turned pro at age 29 and wasn’t exactly the poster boy for speed and skill established a presence..

 

No stamina and chin? Sounds like Jeff Simms
to me, just taller. Simms also came along
against much better competition, so his
lack of skills wasn't hidden as long.

 

As a member of the US Olympic Team that boycotted the Moscow Games, Wilder would've been a part of the "Tomorrow's Champions" that signed with NBC. Being in the first group of Olympians to turn pro on the heels of the success of the 76 US team, Wilder would've had his pick of managers and trainers (unlike 2008).

He'd have been featured on national television (unlike 2008) out of the gate. He'd immediately have become a household name with his crushing power. He'd likely have signed with the Duvas, who were rising at the same time as an organization.

With trainers Lou Duva and George Benton, he'd have faced the usual suspects at heavy in 82/83. "Animal" Lopez. The brain-damaged Jimmy Young. Marvin Stinson.

He'd co-headline NBC Saturday night boxing cards, with fellow Tomorrow's Champions like Czyz, Ayala, and Bumphus, until they fell by the wayside. Marvis Frazier, coming off a win over Quick Tillis, demands a rematch of their Olympic Trials match, where Wilder wasted him in one.

In their pro fight, Wilder again stops Marvis in one. Wilder dances around and yells BOMB SQUAD in Joe Frazier's direction. Lou Duva and Joe Frazier both have to be restrained. Joe vows never to speak to George Benton again, putting him on the same list with Eddie Futch.

Don King would try to do anything to get his hands on Wilder. He'd offer up his revolving door of WBA beltholders. Larry Holmes, looking for 50-0, and struggling with guys as limited as Carl Williams, would have nothing to do with him.

Wilder becomes such a household name that NBC offers King a prime time slot and Wilder challenges Tony Tubbs for the WBA belt in early 1986. Tubbs goes down hard in the first. Gets up. As NBC is about to go to commercial, Tubbs is floored again. He doesn't rise. King claims the punch came after the bell. Nobody cares.

Wilder, his team, and NBC celebrate. Deontay Wilder appears on NBC's top rated sitcom The Cosby Show. Deontay Wilder marries Lisa Bonet the following year.

HBO, which dipped its toe into boxing with Holmes (who couldn't draw flies on NBC), can't compete with NBC and decides to drop boxing from it's lineup to focus on movies.

Mike Tyson quietly turns pro in New York. With a huge KO artist celebrity at heavyweight, nobody pays attention to the guy who couldn't even beat Henry Tillman to qualify for the Olympics.

Fight film collectors Bill Cayton and Jim Jacobs sign a deal with Wilder to package his knockouts on VHS tapes.

Wilder goes to Wembley in September 1986 to face challenger Frank Bruno. Wilder and Bruno are among the biggest sports stars in their respective countries. Wilder stops Bruno in a shootout where both guys are hurt.

Around the same time, the unknown Tyson gets arrested and is sent to prison for mugging old women with his friends in the hood. Once inside, he gets into more trouble.

Wilder returns home and knocks out Michael Spinks to unify the WBA and IBF titles.

Gerry Cooney, his liver shot, talks comeback. But he doesn't want to face the younger Wilder.

Wilder starches Olympic gold medalist Henry Tillman in one in early 87, and preps for a big showdown with Tyrell Biggs by stopping Carl Williams, also in one.

Next, Wilder faces his mandatory, Tyrell Biggs, the undefeated 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist battling cocaine addiction. Biggs starts fast, but Wilder lays him out with an overhand right in the fourth that leaves Biggs convulsing on the floor.

Larry Holmes decides to come back, and stick it to Wilder and NBC, but the right hand of Wilder ends matters quickly in 1988.

Wilder is ringside when his sparring partner Evander Holyfield unifies the cruiserweight title.
The Duvas announce that Holyfield will remain at cruiserweight for a while longer.

They have the unified Cruiserweight Champ (Holyfield) and the unified Heavyweight Champ (Wilder). No need to sacrifice one for the other.

As the biggest name in boxing, Wilder sits ringside with the NBC team at the Seoul Games, and he sees Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe compete for the Olympic Final.

Bowe and Mercer, Olympic roommates, both challenge Wilder during his trip to Seoul. But Bowe's loss to Lewis puts Mercer in the driver's seat. That fight is still a couple years down the road.

As part of their Olympic coverage, Ring Magazine does a profile on failed US amateurs from 1984. Ricky Womack and Mike Tyson are mentioned.

George Foreman continues his comeback with second-round stoppage of Bert Cooper in 1989. Suddenly, Wilder vs. Foreman looks like a possibility for 1990. The Canadian champ, Razor Ruddock tries to box Wilder like he did Weaver, and gets dropped five times in a KO loss.

And that's 10 years ...

 

80s would have been way easier for Wilder than the 90s, Ali effect had almost all the premier HWs of 80s fighting like him, most were slick and athletic but couldn’t punch and stayed on the backfoot. Thats just giving Deontay a sh*t ton of time to land a right hand at some point.

With the exception of Holmes (who is simply a class above) I think the powerhouses would do better. Cooney, Smith, guys that could actually punch. Maybe Tex Cobb could do something funny as well.

 

The guy was stopped by Larry Alexander and an old Jimmy Young. That says enough about his chin and stamina. Wilder took nukes on the chin from Luis Ortiz and Tyson Fury yet stopped one late and floored the other in the 12th. And who is this “ much better “ opposition that Sims beat ? Danny Sutton, Sandman Parker, Walter Santemore, Michael Greer ? You may have some valid criticism towards Wilder but a Jeff sims comparison is not the way to make that case…

 

Lmao

 

He always says Jeff Sims. He's on autopilot.