I don't buy the location thing, Wilder has fought three of his last 4 fights in New York and won his "world" title in Vegas. He's been promoted by Golden Boy, connected to King and in recent years Al Haymon (all huge outfits). He gets the highest non-PPV TV ratings in the States.

More likely the American public/media have never bought into him because he's never been seen as the genuine worlds best like Tyson and Holyfield and Bowe (to a lesser extent were).

1. Wilder has existed in first the Wlad era and now the AJ one.

2. Tyson and Holyfield blitzed to "world" champion in under two years as a pro, Wilder took 7 years and 30+ fights to pick up a trinket.

Imagine if he'd dethroned Klitschko a few years into his career, he'd have become massive, now he needs to dethrone Joshua. However, as his TV rating prove, he's not half the no-name made out, just in a totally different climate to the past.