Imagine if Wilder manages to knock out Usyk...

No version of Wilder stands a chance against any version of Usyk we've seen, realistically... I wouldn't give Wilder a 1/10 shot, honestly.

As to "why"?

The only assumption I can see is that there's some assumption that it improves his legacy to have beaten the three big names of that era...

So I guess if you want someone to thank for this waste of time fight - first thank the team that manufactured and protected Wilder, then thank those that thought up the narratives and excuses for his extremely poor resume and pushed the idea he was actually legit, then thank those who uncritically accepted those narratives and repeated them (and still do)...

He's in another league, yes, but when both have effectively zero chance, theres not much real difference.

And if you must invent quotes, maybe read the thread first... Those comparisons were Paul against AJ relative to Wilder against Usyk - and with caveats.... We're not all simple.

Bull.

If he was going to duck an obvious fraud like Wilder then he wouldn't have fought a guy who didn't even need to be fit to beat Wilder (and proved it twice), or the guy that Wilder never wanted any part of... And he certainly wouldn't have rematched those guys after beating them.

I'd rather Usyk fight Kabayel or Wardley (or Parker) than Wilder - but there are fair reasons to set them aside...

Kabayel isn't motivated by challenge and has chosen to drop down multiple levels to fight a no-hoper (in what should be as big a mismatch as Usyk-Wilder, if Kabayel is even 3/4 of his hype) - will he go back up to serious fights before/after Usyk, or go back to multiple years of a bum a year in Germany like he did before? The money's limited and the legacy value unclear... Wilder's name may be bigger than it deserves, but Kabayel's just doesn't compare even though his two best wins top Wilder's.

Wardley has only really just exploded onto the scene at the top levels - he might go on to prove more or he might not... Again, it's just not that compelling a case for Usyk if all he's interested in is cash and legacy.

Itauma is still a protected prospect - he looks like he could be excellent, but if he turns out to not be then it'd be a waste of a fight even more than Wilder will.

 

Deontay Wilder and Oleksandr Usyk should've fought the first time in 2008 in the Olympic Heavyweight Semifinals, but Usyk lost in the Quarterfinals. Wilder won the Bronze.

Now, eighteen years later, Wilder is 40 years old. Usyk will be 39 in January. They are peers, even though Usyk spent another four or five years as an amateur and the first half of his pro career as a cruiseriweight.

A natural cruiserweight, Wilder's body was ravaged by injuries fighting much heavier guys for much longer than Usyk did (Wilder was outweighed by everyone he fought for 12 straight years.) His two heaviest opponents in that time (Zhang outweighed Wilder by 70 pounds) were the only two people who managed to stop the boney-legged Wilder.

Wilder's had more than a half-dozen surgeries - hand, shoulder, bicep - the most recent (right shoulder surgery) coming after losing to Zhang.

Deontay says he feels better than he has in years. (Lots of old fighters say that.) In his most recent fight, against the first opponent he's outweighed in 13 years, Wilder won every round against journeyman Tyrell Herndon, scoring multiple knockdowns, and stopping Herndon in seven.

Wilder and Usyk are both around the same weight. They're both around the same age.

Wilder is past his prime, admittedly.

Usyk, while also physically past his prime, has looked better in each heavyweight fight he's had since moving up against Chazz Witherspoon. In his last outing, he demolished Daniel Dubois in their rematch in five rounds.

Still, Usyk admits fighting huge heavyweights is taking it out of him physically.

Deontay Wilder will be the most experienced opponent Oleksandr Usyk has fought in his pro career.

This will be Wilder's 50th pro fight. It will be Wilder's 14th WBC Heavyweight Title fight. Deontay Wilder was WBC champion for five years. He made 10 successful heavyweight title defenses.

Usyk has never fought anyone as a pro who was as experienced or as successful a defending champion as Wilder.

Despite what Wilder bashers on this thread mistakenly refer to as a "windmill" or an "Overhand" right, Wilder throws a straight right hand when he KOs opponents with it. It doesn't have to travel far. It's the perfect counterpunch to an aggressive southpaw (which Usyk is).

If Wilder stops Usyk, it will be a huge win. Wilder is no longer at HIS best, but Usyk, despite his age, is more dangerous and more aggressive than at any point in his career.

If Usyk loses, I'm sure some Wilder bashers will say Usyk finally got old. But Usyk hasn't looked old yet, unlike Wilder, who most believe hasn't been the same since he knocked out Ortiz in 2019.

With a win, Wilder will be the second-oldest man to win the World Heavyweight/Ring title.

The oldest, George Foreman, scored a one-punch KO over an undefeated southpaw heavyweight world champion who had previously held a title at a lower weight. George was coming off a series of bad performances, too, including a pummeling at the hands of Alex Stewart and a loss to Tommy Morrison.

They say history doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme. And Wilder becoming one of the oldest heavyweight champs by knocking off an undefeated southpaw two-division heavyweight champion would certainly rhyme.

It would be huge. If they're going to fight anyone, I hope they fight each other. Puts a nice ribbon on the era that is now coming to an end.

 

All the Usyk for GOAT people who are Wilder haters.

"I've made a terrible mistake".

 

This is why I can't get too excited about this matchup. If Wilder was at least willing to let his hands go, it would be interesting. But in several of his last few fights he's been gunshy and looking weird and awkward. I really don't know if he would be able to land the perfect shot even on the rare occasion when Usyk's open for a brief millisecond.

 

I’d like to see Kabayel fight Wardley.

I can’t blame Usyk too much when Kabayel hasn’t done enough to earn such a shot. At the same time, neither does a shot to bits Wilder but there is a lot of money involved and certainly a better fight than fighting a full time YouTuber and a second rate pretender!

 

The sun goes nova first, but it's boxing after all. Would lmao even though I'm a Usyk fan. Bet he would too before brutally avenging himself upon the hapless Wilder.

 

Kabayel has a more impressive career then Usyk.

 

A Wilder KO is possible but highly improbable. Wilder is less skilled, older and been in tough fought battles. I see Usyk taking away Wilders right hand and busting him up into th 8th, 9th were the fight is stopped. Usyk wins.

 

At least Wilder has more of a puncher’s chance to KO Usyk than Jake Paul KO AJ