Deontay Wilder could be what the HW division needs

[TitoFan]

Sound ludicrous, but hear me out.

As much as we all poke fun at Deontay Wilder’s bloated record, it’s highly probably that he could very well be the one to revive interest in the heavyweight division. Arguments over whether “interest” should necessarily include the United States, or whether the rest of the world does just fine without U.S. interest, are older than the hills. But it can hardly be disputed that having U.S. interest in the heavyweight division is better, from a global standpoint, than not having it. So while Wladimir Klitschko continues his “chloroforming” reign over what is sadly a crappy division nowadays, the U.S. yawns… even if the rest of the world fawns over the highly-educated, always-in-shape, albeit boring Ukrainian fighter. We can argue that Wlad doesn’t need the U.S. fans, but it’s an empty argument. Again, more fans is always better than less fans. Besides, it can also be argued that most of the world’s boxers aspire to fight in the well-known “Mecca’s” of boxing, places like Las Vegas, Madison Square Garden, etc.

Enter Wilder. Yes, he has a bloated record. Yes, he is being brought along even slower than Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., early in his career… and that’s saying a lot. Yes, he’s raw, unpolished, with an as of yet untested chin. But he’s an American heavyweight (U.S. heavyweight is more correct, as American encompasses a whole continent). In addition, he’s a fearsome slugger, with one-punch KO power, the type the majority of the boxing fan masses love.

Somehow, Wilder has crept up the rankings, and is now one of three U.S. heavyweights in The Ring top 10 rankings (Jennings and Arreola being the others). Let’s discuss those others. Arreola is a retread, having been around the block more than a few times, and never actually achieved that stardom that some thought he would have. He can be exciting… but he’s always going to be second fiddle to the Klitschkos. Jennings? Yeah, he’s undefeated, but he also poses no danger to Wlad. He’s simply “one of the bunch”. No big deal. His latest fight was anything but memorable, not the kind of stuff people line up to watch.

So that leaves us Wilder. Earned or not, he’s at the top of the rankings (WBC, anyway). Now the ball is in his court. Well, him and his managers, I should say. Pre-season’s over. It’s time to start taking those leaps and bounds forward and start facing the best out there. Maybe, just maybe… Wilder can get enough true tests under his belt to challenge Wlad before Wlad gets too old and retires.

It would be a dream matchup, the type we haven’t had in quite a long time, to have a more polished Deontay (with some at least a couple of credible scalps on his record)… against the longtime champion. But whether we ever get to see this or not, I believe having a champion like Deontay would do a lot toward restoring more of a global interest in the heavyweight division.

[beenKOed]

Could be, might be. You are at Disney World, wishing upon a star. LOL
I hope he's the real deal, the shining light at the end of the heavyweight tunnel too, but we have to wait to find out.
Wilder is a mystery. He'll either continue to make it look easy, or have a couple of hard fought wins and gain some respect, or be exposed in a humiliating way.
Until he beats some quality opponents I suggest you stay calm. That's what I'm trying to do.😎

[TitoFan]

Calm?

Comatose is a more apt description to my state of mind regarding the HW's these days.

[superheavyrhun]

No doubt he's exciting to watch, and he's beaten some aging guys who once fought for a title, but he needs to be getting better opposition before we even mention a fight between him and the big guy.

I'd actually be quite interested seeing him fight Lucas Browne, they've got a bundle of KOs between them, and both hit very hard. Quick, exciting, and there will definitely by a chin test in there, unless its a KO with the first flurry. Povetkin or Charr could also be potential opponents to see if he can mix around the top-ish level.

[bradlee180]

I don't think he's The Truth...


He can fight well enough to earn a Top 10 ranking out of a talent pool of over a thousand licensed professional Heavyweight boxers, so that's an accomplishment in itself.

However, I don't think he's the guy to take the Mantle at all to become a dominant Heavyweight Champion though. He's not gonna deliver at that elite level despite all the hype.

Guys with the Goods are eager to get in there and start busting heads.
They want the fame, the recognition as the Big Dog, that they are The Man.
They're not content to lay back wasting their primes fighting pushovers for six f*<king years!


That Zelenoff stunt is Wilder's biggest claim-to-fame yet, and 28 year old Wilder hasn't fought a single guy with a pulse yet in 32 fights over 6 years!
Dead men all.

He'll be exposed worse than Michael Grant.

Good enough for Top 10, not elite Top 3.

Way she goes...

[superheavyrhun]

That Zelenoff stunt is Wilder's biggest claim-to-fame yet, and 28 year old Wilder hasn't fought a single guy with a pulse yet in 32 fights over 6 years!
Dead men all.

Bit harsh, I think Charlie Z showed more elusiveness than Audley Harrison did to be fair with him. I still think he'd put up a better challenge to Wlad than Shannon Briggs would at this stage.