The Last Time America Ruled The Heavyweight s?

Never champion. Not for one second of his life. A belt? My mother could hold a belt in this day & age. I’m not trying to downgrade Wilder as a fighter specifically, but he simply wasn’t champion of his division. Ever. Objectively. A belt means nothing, & hasn’t for a long, long time.

 

It's a terrible thread because the correct answer is Deontay Wilder ... and everyone would say Deontay Wilder ... so the OP ONLY brought up Wilder's name, called him out, and said anyone other than him.

Wilder is the correct answer, however.

The last time ALL the title belts were held by fighters from the US was when Wilder and Ruiz held all the belts in 2019.

Is the correct answer Andy Ruiz? No.

That's why the OP didn't say "excluding Andy Ruiz."

The correct answer is Wilder. Wilder was the last dominant US heavyweight champ. You all know it. It's a dumb thread. It's for guys who want to argue semantics and run down Wilder.

Wilder was the turd in the British heavyweight boxing punch bowl for years. He reigned longer than Joshua. He ruined Fury's 2018 comeback and maybe Fury, too (as Fury said Wilder gave him Tyson brain damage).

But he - Deontay Wilder - is correct answer to this topic.

 

If we’re talking about an entire decade, it was the 80s, yes Coetzee was a champion, but it was proven that he wasn’t the best of that era.

 

If you regard corrupt side belts as meaningful, Wilder is the answer. That is a dilletante’s understanding of the championship status, to be frank.

 

All the big four heavyweight titles (WBC, WBA, IBF WBO) were held by Wilder and Ruiz in 2019. ALL.

In 2019. Joshua had been dropped four times and quit against Ruiz. Fury was dropped twice by Wilder, got a long count in the last round to survive, Wilder retained his title for the eighth time, and Fury was relegated to fighting on regular ESPN shows that year against Tom Schwarz and nearly bleeding to death against Otto Wallin.

So, the last time the US dominated was 2019 ... as they had all four of the heavyweight titles. And Wilder was the dominant champ. He'd make his ninth and tenth successful defenses that year.

Like I said, the OP didn't say everyone other than Ruiz in the initial post ... because the correct answer is Deontay Wilder.

Wilder was a dominant champ. Let me change that. HISTORICALLY dominant champ. (Fifth all time in most title defenses in a single reign. Tenth all-time in longest reign ever.)

 

“Big four.” Just say the words out loud & the ludicrous nature of this statement is revealed for what it is.

 

There were that many alphabet bodies before the IBC days the group just wasn't as clearly defined and they tended to agree more often.

Theres a lineal case for Wilder after the first Fury fight I guess. During that period I considered him the "real champ". His 2 defenses were certainly more valuable than Furys in that period before their rematch. Wilder did score more points in a draw thus by my logic I consider him to be the champ.

 

The late 90s is when the transition happened. Until the 2010s Americans still had a large plurality of the top HWs even if they weren't winning titles really. In the last 15 years that plurality too would vanish.

 

The lack of credit many here want to give Wilder is astounding.

 

There are no cases, because there is no subjectivity. You are the champ, or you’re not. Wilder never was.

 

Most good to great fighters come from a stellar amateur system and unfortunately the American Amateur system broke down around 30 years ago. Most American fighters have limited amateur backgrounds today and it shows.

 

As for Wilder he was never a champion. As a champion you are expected to take on the best. To challenge yourself against all comers. In an age where the sport was global just look at his resume:

Did he face the best American heavyweight fighter other than himself in Ruiz? No

Did he face the best fighters Eastern Europe had to present- Wlad, Usyk, Povetkin, Pulev, No, No, No, No

Did he face the best fighters Britain offered- Joshua, Fury No and Yes - and he went 0-2-1 against Fury.

Guy was a belt holder milking the belt. And he only faced Fury because he thought like many did that he was washed up.
Listen Wilder made lot of money and lot of fans. Be happy for the guy for that, but don’t try to put an unworthy guy on some pedestal with truly great fighters that made the big fights and won.

 

But per the thread 2019 is the year Americans held every belt, thus Americans ruled the division.