Has Wilder suddenly become the “A Side” against AJ?

[Spicoli]

First good to see you around bud. Wilder finally had a solid tough heavyweight fight with a guy who didn't come in to fall down. That's the jist of it and while he rose to the occasion and did show brass and heart, did show a never say die attitude and he did show that short circuiting eraser right hand..it is only more noticeable and note worthy because he so desperately lacked it prior. What other heavyweight, let alone a title holder, has his first back and forth acid test come in his 40th fight? Honestly the best thing for Wilder is that fans don't focus on his first 32 fights. Nikolay Valuev managed a 48-0 tag with more opponent padding than a mattress factory. He is very much in the uphill climb of learning on the job and in the moment with another legit heavyweight trying to and almost succeeding in taking his head off now. I actually did gain some respect for both he and Ortiz last night but we're not far removed from a decade when well, that's what heavyweights did. They faced tough comp and fights early in careers before titles came into the picture and sorted it out with room for lessons to carry forward. With every fight Wilders flaws and flailing gumby follow up attack on are display as much as his right hand. Best closer in boxing . Wilder does deserve credit for maximizing his strengths and fire but AJ was featured on the same US channels he has been and took his acid test with one of the more dominate champs on an era. I think he holds the cards here and even more so should he unify.

[ykdadamaja]

I don't think AJ could have knocked Ortiz down, much less knock him out. But, AJ is the crowd favorite. But Wilder is the better more tougher specimen.

Wilder sparks AJ within 10, maybe sooner.

Sad fact is there is no need, aside for pride, for AJ to fight Wilder. AJ made over $28 mil in his fight against Wladimir and just about the same for his fight against Takam. Wilder just barely cleared $2 mil for his fight against Ortiz. So, AJ can make money regardless. Wilder is the guy who has to show the fans who the real champion is.

A fight with Wilder and AJ in Europe would probably make a helluva lot of money.

[Alpha]

Wilder is still not the A-side but he definitely improved his standing in the negotiation side of things.

[powerpuncher]

I haven’t changed my stance. The purse should be split 50/50 and it should be fought in the UK. AJ really isn’t that great either. He isn’t bad, but I haven’t ever been super impressed by his skills. Maybe he will prove me wrong, but at the moment, I feel like he is basically on the same level as Wilder.

[hfahrenheit]

It's fun to read the back-and-forth about if records matter or not--I think in boxing, the strongest value is having a loss, just because of how heavily it weighted; half your arguments are that Wilder is 40-0, and the emphasis is on the '0'. Quality of opposition will always matter, but only to us, and not to anyone who doesn't follow boxing.

And if you put this fight on anywhere but the O2, you're throwing money away--don't think these guys have enough American audience to do the same money in Vegas.

[TitoFan]

A side... B side... who the hell cares. I'm just glad the heavyweight division is worth talking about again. No slight on Wlad (well... maybe a little bit), but the heavies are exciting again. Never having been a "last fight" fan kind of guy, I don't fluctuate on my opinion of fighters too much one way or another based on their last fight. That being said, I think Wilder has dispelled some of my previous doubts, regardless of how... um... wild he might be. So he throws windmills when he's got the guy in trouble..... big whoop-dee-doo. He gets the job done. Same ol' same ol' with opponents. Before the fight, Ortiz was the dangerous King Kong. Avoided by all. Now that Wilder KO'ed him, he's an old, washed up bum. We should listen to ourselves sometimes. Credit where credit is due. THAT being said, I still hold AJ's win over Wlad in higher regard, just because Wlad was KO'ed for the 1st time in ages. AJ managed to bring Wlad out of his timid, defensive self, and become what we've always wanted Wlad to be..... an OFFENSIVE fighter. That fight still stands as one of the best HW title fights in years, maybe decades. About where the fight should be held? The O2 Arena doesn't sound half bad. I'm afraid a Vegas crowd might underwhelm. Wilder would have to be willing to travel for that one.

[Alpha]

A side... B side... who the hell cares. I'm just glad the heavyweight division is worth talking about again. No slight on Wlad (well... maybe a little bit), but the heavies are exciting again. Never having been a "last fight" fan kind of guy, I don't fluctuate on my opinion of fighters too much one way or another based on their last fight. That being said, I think Wilder has dispelled some of my previous doubts, regardless of how... um... wild he might be. So he throws windmills when he's got the guy in trouble..... big whoop-dee-doo. He gets the job done. Same ol' same ol' with opponents. Before the fight, Ortiz was the dangerous King Kong. Avoided by all. Now that Wilder KO'ed him, he's an old, washed up bum. We should listen to ourselves sometimes. Credit where credit is due. THAT being said, I still hold AJ's win over Wlad in higher regard, just because Wlad was KO'ed for the 1st time in ages. AJ managed to bring Wlad out of his timid, defensive self, and become what we've always wanted Wlad to be..... an OFFENSIVE fighter. That fight still stands as one of the best HW title fights in years, maybe decades. About where the fight should be held? The O2 Arena doesn't sound half bad. I'm afraid a Vegas crowd might underwhelm. Wilder would have to be willing to travel for that one.

Good post, I think many of us acknowledged beforehand that Ortiz was older than the reported 38, and the fact that he was on medication, and had failed PED tests, a clean (semi-clean) Ortiz is not the fighter he once was. In saying that I think many still consider him a very skillful fighter and a tough fight for any of the top guys. He just doesn't have the legs to carry him 12 rounds anymore in my opinion.

[Master]

Slowly but surely the 2 best heavyweights on the planet will be facing one another. For that we should be thankful for.