It's time to respect Wilder. He did what I didn't think he could do

He overcame adversity against a top 10 guy.

I said before the fight (which I predicted he'd win) that in order to gain respect from the hardcore boxing fan community he had to win a tough fight against an Ortiz who came to win, an Ortiz who put pressure on him, even had him out on his feet. I thought Ortiz would take a dive early on, look for an exit. But that wasn't the case.

So Wilder was put under pressure and he had to fight, and that's exactly what happened. So this IMO was a baptism of fire for Wilder and through willpower and some luck he came out on top. He deserves respect for that.

Yes, Wilder is raw and unskilled and that won't ever change. But his combination of physical advantages, punching power and his determination is enough to safely place him in the top 3 of the HW division. The days of his "0" are numbered until his luck runs out and he gets KO'd but until then he's a fighter we simply have to take seriously.