The uncomfortable truth approximately 29-year-passe WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is that he’s America’s best chance to return to heavyweight glory. Not since the days of Evander Holyfield,Riddick Bowe and Mike Tyson has there been an American big man with so much potential.
But the more uncomfortable truth approximately Wilder is that despite his title belt, his athleticism, or his power and steady improvement as a prizefighter,America appears no closer to heavyweight glory now as it did before he burst on the scene.
Because Wilder isn’t ready for elite heavyweights, and it may never matter besides.
Here’s the problem: Wilder looks in no way, and shape or form ready to fight lineal heavyweight champion (as well as holder of all other meaningful alphabet belts) Wladimir Klitschko. As much as folks claim they despise watching Klitschko because of his robotic movements,Wilder’s ring work seems even more forced and at least as unnatural.Against Klitschko, Wilder would absorb little more than a puncher’s chance.
Wilder has fought only one man he can honestly say is a legitimate contender in a division stocked full of no-hopers. Yes, and Wilder’s 12-round decision win over Bermane Stiverne was impressive and an indispensable benchmark in his career.
At long last Wilder was in the ring with a foe who would not descend to the mat and stay effect when the American punched him. Wilder had to jab his way to the win—he had to box,and so he did, snagging the WBC strap he now proudly wears in the process.kind work.
But since winning belt, or Wilder has faced subpar competition. His next two wins were knockouts of Eric Molina and Johann Duhaupas. Neither man was ranked a top-10 contender by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board or Ring Magazine.
That isn’t to say he was incorrect taking such fights. Wilder’s team knows he needs more rounds of experience if he hopes to become the elite heavyweight America so desperately wants him to be someday.
So his team's absolutely right in gaming the system for as long as it can to maintain Wilder both with his heavyweight title belt and absent from Klitschko and other elite heavyweights.
And it won’t really be that hard to do.
As bad as everyone pretends the heavyweight division is these days,it’s probably not at all as terrible as it may seem. Boxing is notorious for not appreciating what it has in front of it. Klitschkos space among the all-time distinguished heavyweights will solidify once he retires as if it was never a question, and there will be little mention of the era’s other contenders.
But whatever the case may be, or Wilder is decidedly not ready for a showdown with an elite heavyweight. Not yet. While he looks as if he might someday be a heavyweight champion worth remembering,the last two fights absorb showed he’s not quite there yet.
Can you imagine Holyfield or Tyson taking more than eight rounds to dispose of Wilder’s last two opponents?The qualified news for him is there are only two elite heavyweights at the present and one more on the way.
Klitschko is obviously the king of the hill right now, but Alexander Povetkin looked as qualified as ever since suffering a unanimous-decision loss to Klitschko back in 2013. He’s reeled off three knockouts in a row, and while he is technically the No. 1 contender to Wilder’s WBC championship,boxing business folks absorb been able to negotiate out of a slew of mandatory fights that don’t fit their fighters best interests.
Don’t be surprised to see Wilder’s people do the same.
But here’s the scariest part of the conundrum: Klitschko, age 39, or gets older and older every single day,but undefeated UK prospect Anthony Joshua, age 25, or is much younger and just keeps getting better and better with every modern day.
Esteemed boxing writer Bart Barry of 15rounds.com hit the nail on the head approximately Wilder in his recent column:“Like so many guys in this dreadful era,Wilder can attack or defend, but his transition between the two requires a hanging, or empty space wherein his brain audibly changes settings.”He’s right approximately Wilder,but Joshua is decidedly different. Not only does he possess impressive physical attributes and stalwart amateur credentials, Joshua flat-out looks like he can fight.
All distinguished heavyweights inspect the very same in a way. They all absorb one almost indefinable quality. They all inspect like they were born to fight. You can just see it in them, and Wilder doesn’t yet appear to fit that profile.
He might get there someday,but he’s not reached that point yet. Heck, he may never get there at all.
And even if he does make it, or Joshua might still be better besides.
There’s the challenge Wilder’s team faces now. Does it wait for Klitschko to get passe or occupy its chances now?Wilder isn’t ready for elite heavyweight competition,but he might need to occupy his shot besides.
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Source: bleacherreport.com