Let's settle it once and for good. Do you think Wilder has a legitimate body of work for a champion?

If we just consider the Klitschko era and on (post-2004) how many of the 26 other champions have better heavyweight records than Wilder?

Fury and Wlad certainly
Vitali?
Usyk?
Joshua?
Povetkin wasn't a full champion

At worst Wilder is 6th of 27 and at best he's 3rd.

 

Considering the length of time that Wilder was a champion (5 years), he could have picked better opponents for his voluntary defences. It’s not an amazing resume by any means.

But is it legitimate?

He won every single world title defence against men not named Tyson Fury by knockout or stoppage.

Of course it’s legitimate.

 

No. He's the most overrated heavy since the 80's.

 

I think Wilder sucks and also Fury is not an ATG

 

Wilder is exciting puncher with long reach. very dangerous exciting power. not a top record . the record is not legit world champion record. but he is legit puncher & real danger to all fighters of division heavyweight

 

Short answer is no. His resume is terrible. People forget Fury was supposed to be a cherry pick. He swerved all threats. Weak resume.

 

He definitely isn't third.

 

Terrible compared to what?

To the 26 other heavyweight champions since 2004?

Objectively no, Wilder's record one of the best in fact.

Fury was meant to be a cherry pick but he was still one of the best opponents possible (as the close to even betting odds suggested). In the rematch Fury was the No.1 ranked heavyweight, as he was in the trilogy fight. From March 2018 to October 2021, there's a strong argument that no one in the sport of boxing fought stronger or more dangerous competition than Wilder.

 

The guy's best wins are 38 year old Ortiz and 38 year old Stiverne. Too old men who were never good. How is this guy even considered top 10? much less top 5! Boxing fans are the biggest suckers on Earth

 

Stiverne had recently turned 36 which isn't old by modern HW standards and he was coming off back to back dominant performances against one of Vitali's best career opponents.

Ortiz was just about to turn 39: about the same age as the flabby inactive part time boxer who'd been KO'd by Nate Tubbs and Rahman and who may be Vitali's best win.

I guess Vitali was rubbish.

 

THIS^^^

It’s quite obvious where the problem lies.

Since Klitschko, here is a list of belt holders and the time it took for each of them to step up against a top 10 opponent after winning their first title at heavyweight:

Charles Martin – took

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before facing Top 10 rated Anthony Joshua (

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as belt holder)

Andy Ruiz Jr. – took

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before facing Top 10 rated Anthony Joshua (

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as belt holder)

Bermaine Stiverne – took

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before facing Top 10 rated Deontay Wilder (

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as belt holder)

Oleksandr Usyk* – it will be

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before facing Top 10 rated Anthony Joshua (

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as belt holder)

Anthony Joshua – took

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before facing Top 10 rated Wladimir Klitschko (

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as belt holder)

Joseph Parker - took

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before facing Top 10 rated Anthony Joshua (

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as belt holder)

Tyson Fury** – took

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before facing Top 10 rated Deontay Wilder (

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as “lineal” belt holder)

Deontay Wilder – took

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before facing Top 10 rated Luis Ortiz (

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as belt holder)



*a war happened
**retirement happened

 

I remove the age part for Stiverne, but I disagree that Ortiz is as good as Vitali's best win. Anyway, I don't rate Vitali nearly as highly as most people on this forum, so it's pretty irrelevant to me anyway.

 

Betting odds as a measuring stick... Now where have I heard that before?