Would Wilder still stop AJ?

Wilder was really dangerous in his prime which was years and years ago, that Wilder would have easily knocked out the Wilder that lost to Parker.

I'd say in 2019 when the fight was supposed to happen that I think it would have been very similar fight to the first AJ V Ruiz fight but in Wilder's favour.

However, now? AJ would knock Wilder out inside three rounds. Wilder is shot to bits now.

 

Stylistically Wilder has a chance against every active HW, that doesn't mean he would beat them or even be likely to. We've witnessed his peak and it's all downhill from here. I don't see him beating the top 4 (Usyk, Fury, Joshua, Parker), or Hrgovic. He might be able to beat Zhang if Zhang doesn't beat him before the gas tank empties. I think the lower tier of HW Wilder even declined may still be too much for.

 

Wilder fought mostly tin cans. When he went up against someone of quality he got beat. AJ has fought credible opponents with some wins, some losses. AJ beats him at any point in their careers.

People say Wilder isn’t good anymore, but thats hogwash. His technique is better than ever and power doesn’t degrade at his age. He simply stepped up in competition against guys who were as good as AJs opponents and he got crushed, 3x by Fury and now by Parker.

Wilder is the same as he’s always been, minus just not having the killer instinct he once did. He was simply never that good to begin with.

 

He looked really dangerous... But that was against trash.

His best wins were over Ortiz who wasn't really anything special, hadn't achieved much and was getting old (and on heart meds to boot) - at best he was a gatekeeper level fighter by the time he fought Wilder.

Most of Wilders resume is journeymen - at best, he beat a couple of pretty average gatekeepers, not without difficulty in the Ortiz and Szpilka fights.

There's not much evidence for that... Yes, he was 38 when he fought Parker, and he'd been dominated a couple of times by Fury by then too - but inactivity aside he looked as fit as ever.

If there's a significant difference it's ring rust - and that would make a difference with a puncher who relies on timing and patience... But it wouldn't turn a world class fighter into a total bum who could be dominated quite that thoroughly.

I think that's very, very unlikely.

For starters, Ruiz had very fast hands and a decent selection of punches and combos to throw that could restrict Joshua's activity in return - Wilder not only didn't fight like that, he lacked the basic skills and attributes to even be capable of it.

Realistically, there's a strong possibility that Joshua would've been wary of his punching power and overly respectful - a flash knockout isn't impossible, but a dominant rematch loss is equally possible.

Like the mismatch between Lewis and Rahman... Wilder could've fluked a win, but the rematch/rematches would've set the record straight.

With how basic Wilder is and always was, that was always a possibility... It just depends how cautious Joshua fights.

I don't know if Wilders shot or just too smart to try and correct his resume and probably lose to another contender.

 

He defo seems to have a different persona and life outlook since he did his thing.

“I found happiness while doing ayahuasca. It's a beautiful thing,” Wilder said;

If he ever goes to San Francisco, he'll be wearing flowers in his hair...

 

Wilder would have but probably would not now.
The right is his only weapon and if you can't deliver the bomb to the target.............

 

He was never stopping AJ. The one moment I had Wilder as a slight favorite in the fight was when AJ struggled with Helenius. But turns out, Wilder is high out of his mind now, so he wouldn't do it even then.

 

To be fare:
1. Wilder was not that good to begin with
2. Reaction time decreases with age.

Wilder need both his power and reactions to win against moving targets such as Parker or Spillka.

Now he just has his power. Nothing else.

 

Wilder lost that demon ancestral spirit power when he drank that plant medicine the last time.

Wilder is a shot fighter. Even now though, AJ would find a way to DUCK that fight.

 

Funny, considering that it was Wilder who ducked Joshua when they were both champions and stupidly admitted it, lol.

 

AJ KO's Wilder within 6 rounds nowadays and I'd love it to happen as it'd be easy money.

 

No. Wilder is far past his physical prime and even his technique is worse than it has ever been. You don't improve -or maintain your level- by hiring a bunch of yes men, not fighting, getting brutally ko'd multiple times, going on drug sabbaticals, and turning 40, ffs.

 

No.

At this stage, AJ would absolutely obliterate Wilder and I mean smash him to bits.

Physically, Wilder just doesn’t have “it” anymore.

His legs are shot to smithereens, he’s absolutely finished.

 

You do make good arguments and points, but for me the Wilder of 5/6 years ago would have really beaten up the Wilder against Parker.

I can't stress enough how important a boxers mentality, hunger and determination is.

 

I don't know whether "beaten up" is necessarily the right phrase - Wilder was always a one and done fighter, not an accumulation fighter.

Hunger and mentality clearly matters - as does self-belief, and as deluded as he's always been it's just possible now that Parker humiliated him that it's finally sunk in that he can't beat the legit contenders and never will.

Either way... He'd have only ever had a punchers chance against Joshua - even at his best, he had severe limitations that only his poor level of opposition prevented from producing a number of losses.