Could Wilder have been an all time great at cruiserweight?

Cruiserweights are a lot quicker + more elusive than heavies. He would land clean a lot less, and be taken the distance a lot more. He'd prob have a few UD losses on his record

 

“We had good sparring sessions. Wilder is a very hard and strong fighter. I can’t say that there is a big difference (between Wlad’s power and Wilder’s power) but I think that Wilder’s punches are harder. Wilder is the hardest worker I've been in with. In addition he has dangerous angles to his attacks that are difficult to understand. If Klitschko has a classic technique, then Wilder is very unusual and his attacks are very difficult to defend against. If you look from the outside, the movements seem clumsy, but in the ring they work in a very efficient manner." - future unified cruiserweight titlist Murat Gassiev, 2016

“People don’t really know this but Deontay is only wild when he has you hurt. If you look at him properly, like when I’ve sparred with him and stuff, he’s focused on technique and boxing, using his feet and being more lateral. When he hurts you, that’s when he’s wild and swinging, going crazy. But he’s actually a good boxer and he’s a lot faster than people think.” - cruiserweight Isaac Chamberlain, 2017

“One thing also no-one really mentions is Deontay Wilder’s punch resistance. He can take a shot. I was giving him some digs; I’ve buzzed him a bit and he’s been back wanting more. Not only is it a good chin, his recovery power is great, most people you hit them with one shot their legs go a little bit and they’re not quite the same. He’s straight back on it.” - former lineal cruiserweight champion David Haye, 2020

Wilder would have had a lot of success at cruiserweight, especially with A-side advantage in America but eventually he would have had to fight Usyk or Briedis, who would have had a very good chance of beating him with their speed, skills and toughness. Wilder is hard to beat on points though, even by very skilled pointfighting technicians (which is a problem as cruisers tend to be more inclined to pointfight) and not being resolute in going for a KO against Wilder exposes you to a serious risk of being KO'd yourself over 36 minutes.

The most notable cruises/ex-cruisers he's beaten are gold medalist Chakhkiev over 4 rounds in Russia as a green amateur and Szpilka as a pro, who gave him some resistance. Most of Wilder's best pro wins (Ortiz x2, Stiverne 1, Duhaupas) have been over slower-footed opponents, with Helenius and Ruiz likely to continue that trend.

 

Wilder can still go down as an ATG Heavy (depending on how that's defined).

To me his 41 KOs in 42 fights is already outlandish, but if he added some more big names on top of that then he's a legend imo.

He could feasibly stop Helenius and Ruiz in quick succession, Joe P might then want some of that action.

His biggest targets should be Joyce and Usyk, but it seems unlikely to me that Usyk would give him the time of day.

 

Wilder has lost against only one fighter, he made 10 successful defences of the Heavyweight title, has a 91% KO record, merely on figures he beats many heavyweight champs who are called ATGs.

Could he have weight cut to be a ATG at cruiserweight yes it is is possible, however would he or indeed should he is another question, Wilder had a small weight range where he functioned best, facing the likes of Usyk at cruiserweight which was Usyks natural weight division i believe would have been a step too far.

 

15lbs is alot of weight to boil down, he hardly carries much weight as it is, look at his legs.

 

If Wilder foght the same competition at CW that he does at HW his best win after 5 years of holding the title would be Mchunu.

 

I genuinely don’t think he can boil down to 200. He looks drained as it is at 214 right now and his legs are as skinny as it gets before they’re classed as just bones.

He’s in the right division, even if he somehow made weight at cruiser I agree that he would be far less competitive as cruisers are faster, more accurate, more agile, more skilled overall.

Heavies tend to be slower and more cumbersome overall, certainly more stationery for Wilder to deliver his power.

 

He'd be an ATG at Bridgerweight that's for sure.

 

Hed wouldnt be able to get down to 200 pounds, his frame is too big. Hed be a deadman walking.

 

Wilder looked like he was walking around at 210 earlier this year. He is a natural skinny lean man. He has no mass on his legs at all. In his 20's he was 205-210 and that's fully hydrated.

He doesn't need big muscles at all. He has a gift and even if he is skinny he still has a bullet that will kill you.

9/10lb's of water weight is VERY do-able. It's a fun hypothetical.


Them quicker little cruisers would have been more of a nightmare for him than the big lumbering heavyweights with slow feet. He wouldn't have been able to compete with cruisers and I'm sure Wilder worked that out very early in his career.

Building his career as a HW was a wise move and he has achieved more because of it.

 

Wilder would be completely depleted to make that weight against guys coming in strapped. Not to mention his success was against slow as molasses heavyweights who were easy to hit now he's be fighting faster slicker boxers.

Bad move for Wilder!