Three men currently rule boxing’s heavyweight division. Two of them hold titles, and one is a champion without a belt in many people’s eyes. However, only one of these men seems to receive the brunt of negativity from fans and media members, and that’s WBC heavyweight champion, Deontay Wilder. With his recent rejection of DAZN’s $100 million offer, a deal that would have put him on a collision course with Anthony Joshua; there are justifiable reasons to criticize Wilder. But there is also a great misconception about the American and his career thus far, which makes this villainous image, a questionable one.
If experts read about a man who possesses knockout power that is greater than any heavyweight past or present, has charisma in spades, is tall, and has knocked out thirty-nine opponents in his forty-one professional fights, they’d bank on this being someone capable of emulating Mike Tyson’s level of popularity. For whatever reason, that’s not been the case for Alabama’s favourite son, and in fairness, this negative perception of the champion has largely been due to forces he cannot control.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ acknowledged in his BT Sport’s No Filter documentary that he’s not “the average heavyweight.” Many have said he looks like a basketball player, not a heavyweight champion. If his appearance is strange, his style is stranger. Hands low, looping punches that seem to have no real technique behind them, it’s not the norm. It’s unconventional. And when people witness something they do not understand, they tend to have a negative reaction. The general opinion on Deontay Wilder is that he is like his name suggests, “wild.” All he has is power, and he lacks fundamentals and traditional boxing skills.
Historically, combat sports have always had a good vs. evil narrative, and it’s on the fans to place fighters in the respective categories. While Deontay Wilder finally stepped up in competition and earned recognition for brutal KO’s like his one against Bermane Stiverne, he did so during a time where Anthony Joshua firmly established himself as boxing’s new kingpin. Not only that, but AJ is the consummate good guy, he is the ‘people’s champion’. So naturally, a champion that speaks negatively about AJ and is deemed a legitimate threat automatically becomes public enemy number one.
Wilder is also a victim of American promoters' desire to slowly build up their fighters. A large portion of the WBC heavyweight champion’s victims were not highly ranked opponents. So by the time he fought stiffer competition, it was nothing new because AJ and Tyson Fury had been there and done that. The American became the champion ‘who hasn’t faced anyone’.
Now in 2019, after his biggest fight till date, he still stands as an underappreciated fighter because of a decision he once again had no control over. Wilder vs. Fury was a classic heavyweight contest, which unfortunately ended with a controversial decision. Most fans had Tyson Fury winning the fight, and even though Wilder did more than his fair share to give fans their money’s worth, a bad judge’s decision ensured fans maintain their long-standing gripe with ‘The Bronze Bomber’.
What many fail to understand is despite Deontay Wilder’s age and professional record, he is still learning and is relatively inexperienced when compared to some other champions. Evander Holyfield even highlighted this fact when he talked up his fellow American in an interview with Seconds Out post-Wilder vs. Ortiz. “He had more difficult fights, do you know why? Cause he don’t have no experience. So everybody he fights is a challenge to him.” Although Evander’s comments may not be entirely accurate, there is validity to what he said. Fans seem to forget that Deontay Wilder started boxing in 2005 at the age of twenty, and in only three years, became the only American to medal in boxing in the 2008 Olympics. Two years less than Anthony Joshua had to prepare for the 2012 Olympic Games.
When he fought Tyson Fury, he went up against the former heavyweight king that began boxing at the age of twelve and had already conquered highly ranked foes such as Wladimir Klitschko. And while people like to focus on the decision and pick out Wilder’s faults, they completely ignore the intelligence and heart the champion displayed. When the chips were down, Deontay Wilder did not fold by accepting Fury as an unsolvable puzzle. Unlike, the revered Klitschko, he refocused and adjusted to the Brits style. He shortened his punches, committed to combinations, and incorporated the left hook that put the challenger down in round twelve. All of this shows a will and boxing IQ many fans seem to question, and although he did not do enough to win, he definitely earned a draw the hard way.
As Mike Tyson points out in his book, no one focused on his accomplishments either after he won the WBA title in 1996. “I had fought eight rounds since getting out of jail and I had earned $80 million. That was all that people focused on. Nobody ever gave me any credit for coming out of jail after three years behind bars and winning two championship belts.” Maybe in twenty years, Wilder will be given the credit he earned on December 1st, 2018.
As far as the narrative of ‘The Bronze Bomber’ having it easy throughout his reign goes, it’s far from the truth, and a contrasting view to what The Guardian had in 2008. “Like Rocky, Wilder boxes best when he's getting a hiding. It is then that he digs deep, sticks out a long, muscled jab, followed by one of the biggest right hands at these Olympics,” were Kevin Mitchell’s exact words, and this “Rocky” spirit came out against one of the most formidable heavyweights in the world on March 3rd, 2018.
When he fought Luis Ortiz, Deontay Wilder came forward, was aggressive against the deceptively accurate and powerful Cuban. But even when the fight and Wilder got wobbly, he showed the same courage as Joshua did in his epic showdown at Wembley. He survived the thirty-second barrage, never fell down, and regained his composure. In the tenth round, he intelligently lured Ortiz in by dodging shots and hit him with a counter right hand that ultimately led to a tenth round KO win.
It’s clear that there is a desire to paint the WBC champion with this villainous image, as a lot of history seems to be rewritten or left out in these so-called debates online. But people also forget that arguably no boxer has a nobler story than Deontay Wilder. A man who entered a dangerous sport, fighting men that outweigh him all for his daughter that suffers from spina bifida. That’s a heroic Hollywood tale right there.
However, like every story, there are two sides to this one. A lot of theories can be shot down as false when it comes to his career and qualities inside the ring, but there are facts that justifiably aggravate boxing fans. One cannot continuously preach “one champion, one face, one name” and refuse an undisputed fight with Anthony Joshua. Contract disputes are commonplace in this sport, but everyone is well aware that DAZN’s recent offer far exceeded any previous payday of Wilder’s career.
Also, the champion’s team clearly has a personal vendetta against team AJ, which is damaging his brand and image. So as one of the sport’s biggest stars, it’s time for him to speak up and demand the fight he claims he wants, in spite of what his team whisper in his ear.
As frustrating as this situation has become, Wilder is not the first person to shoot down a potential dream fight. Tyson Fury allowed an ESPN deal to shut down an immediate rematch for the WBC title, and Joshua turned down a $50 million offer from Team Wilder. Unfortunately, this is a trend that will continue in boxing, and one should not hold this recent rejection against Wilder anymore than AJ and Fury because this is nothing his rivals have not done.
So with the debate, trash talk, and rumours set to continue until one of these three heavyweights meet inside the ring, fans and critics need to evaluate this ‘bad guy’ image of Deontay Wilder. Sure, like most boxers, he’s no angel. But there’s a lot more to ‘The Bronze Bomber’ than what meets the eye. After all, you do not knock out over 90% of your opponents and sit as a reigning heavyweight champion if you have one lucky punch.
Originally published in March 2019
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