Astute observers might have contrasting opinions of Deontay Wilder.
On one hand his resume isn’t deep and his skill set has been the target of incessant criticism over the years. On the other hand he’s among the hardest punchers of all time and had one of the longest heavyweight title reigns in recent years.
The “Bronze Bomber” almost certainly will end up in the International Boxing Hall of Fame – top heavyweights generally do – but hardcore fans will debate his ability forever.
Here is one perspective on Wilder as he prepares to face fellow contender Robert Helenius on pay-per-view Saturday at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York.
BAD
Wilder won the WBC heavyweight title by outpointing Bermane Stiverne in 2015 and held it until Tyson Fury stopped him in their second fight in 2020, an impressive run that included 10 successful title defenses.
But who did he beat?
Here’s the list of the challengers who failed to take his belt: Eric Molina, Johann Duhaupus, Artur Szpilka, Chris Arreola, Gerald Washington, Stiverne again, Luis Ortiz, Fury (draw), Dominic Breazeale and Ortiz again.
If you’re not wowed by that bunch, you’re not alone. Wilder’s most impressive victories are probably those over the well-schooled, powerful Ortiz, although the Cuban lost his biggest fights and never won a title.
Beyond Ortiz? A vast wasteland, which obviously raises questions about Wilder’s place in heavyweight history.
Then there are the three fights with Fury. You can toss out the draw, as most observers thought the Englishman was robbed by the judges. And while Wilder showed great courage in the second and third meetings, he was brutally knocked out in both fights.
Fury is the best heavyweight of his era. Still, Wilder’s 0-2-1 record in his three biggest fights is a glaring blemish on his resume.
Critics also love to talk about his perceived limitations as a boxer, insisting that he wins fight almost exclusively because of his undeniable punching power. Some have gone so far as to say that he’s one of the weakest technicians among all heavyweight titleholders.
The truth is he’s not a great boxer, which is important to many purists. They might ask: “How can a fighter with such limitations join the pantheon of great heavyweights?”
So-so resume, two-plus failures against Fury, questionable boxing skills. Those are legitimate criticisms of Wilder.
GOOD
No one can say with any legitimacy that Wilder has a strong resume. He doesn’t. However, the same can be said of other heavyweights who have more respect than he has.
Take Wladimir Klitschko, for example. The Ukrainian star deserves to be in the Hall of Fame because of his consistency over a long period of time.
But we can also ask about him: Who did he beat? Klitschko’s greatest victories probably were those over Alexander Povetkin, David Haye and Samuel Peter, who were good, but largely forgettable heavyweights.
To be clear: Klitschko defeated more such heavyweights over more than a decade at the pinnacle of the sport, which is why he garnered universal respect. At the same time, he was knocked out by journeymen Ross Puritty, Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster before his late-career setbacks. And, like Wilder, he never defeated a heavyweight with special ability.
Wilder has defeated all but one of the men who have been placed in front of him, most of whom have been ranked contenders. That’s all that can be expected of him.
The Fury fights obviously don’t help his resume. Bad losses are bad losses. However, he deserves some credit for rebounding from a horrible beat down in Fight 2 in February 2020 to give Fury absolute hell in a classic Fight 3 in October 2021, putting the best heavyweight in the world down twice before being stopped himself.
If nothing else, Wilder gained recognition for his warrior spirit, which is meaningful to many fans.
His skill set? The criticism is overblown.
Wilder clearly doesn’t have the ability of Oleksandr Usyk – who does? – but he knows what he’s doing. A power puncher generally doesn’t land his shots accidently; he patiently, methodically sets them up before unloading.
That’s what Wilder has done throughout his career. And it takes skill. To be sure, he has developed an excellent delivery system for what might be the most powerful right hand in history, which is underappreciated.
CONCLUSION
Wilder’s complete story has not been written.
If things go well for him on Saturday, the 36-year-old (37 on Oct. 22) could end up sharing the ring with the likes of Usyk or Anthony Joshua. If he gets those fights and wins one or both of them, he’ll be perceived differently. Of course, the same goes if loses.
As things stand now, he’s not as bad as his critics suggest and not as good as his most ardent supporters believe he is. That’s the case with most fighters.
I’ll add this, though: It’s not easy to retain any world title for five years and 10 defenses. The same goes for 41 knockouts in 45 fights, which makes Wilder one of the greatest knockout artists of all time.
And, finally, he’s a relatively small heavyweight. He’s tall, 6-foot-7, but his natural weight is 220-plus pounds. He could probably make the cruiserweight limit of 200 if he really wanted to. The fact he accomplished all he has with his lean frame is impressive.
That’s a good word to describe Wilder, “impressive.”
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