The best heavyweight in the world fights on Saturday night. (photo by Ryan Hafey)
That’s a distinction Deontay Wilder always believed belonged to him, but with Anthony Joshua being upset by Andy Ruiz Jr. and Tyson Fury looking more interested in WWE and the UFC than he has in wins over Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin in the months since Wilder’s last appearance against Dominic Breazeale in May, there is really no question as to who “The Man” is in the sport’s glamour division.
Some may call that addition by subtraction, but it’s not that simple, especially when Wilder has had a solid case as boxing’s best big man long before a spring and summer of discontent for his peers. And should he make the 10th successful defense of his WBC title against Luis Ortiz this weekend in Las Vegas, even the critics might have to take a step back.
“It's a great honor to be able to say this is my tenth title defense that I'm about to have, especially when many thought I was never going to be the heavyweight champion,” said Wilder during a recent media teleconference. “And here I am at 10.”
Ten consecutive title defenses over four-plus years at the top is an impressive feat, one that puts him in Hall of Fame company. And with the likelihood of a defining rematch with Fury or a bout with the Ruiz-Joshua rematch winner both in the air at the moment, Wilder’s goal is to just keep winning against any and all comers.
“It's amazing to be at this point in time and right now all I could do for my career is just rack up numbers,” he said. “I have always fought for a legend's legacy and I'm still fighting to this day for that. I just want to be the best in the world. I want to be the best that has ever done it. When people think about boxing I want them to say Deontay Wilder.”
Landing in the number 34 spot on ESPN’s “World Fame 100” list in March - the highest ranking for any boxer - is a good sign, but the pay-per-view numbers for the rematch with Ortiz will be a better indicator of his standing on the world landscape. And while the buzz isn’t where it would be for those aforementioned bouts with either Fury, Ruiz or Joshua, it has the potential to bring in casual fans as well as the diehards, especially being in Las Vegas on a non-UFC weekend.
Why? Well, outside of the first fight with Fury in December 2018, no one has come closer to beating “The Bronze Bomber” than Cuba’s Ortiz, who may be the only 40-year-old in the world who has a good chance at throwing another wrench into the heavyweight title picture.
Back in March of 2018, Ortiz baffled and rattled Wilder in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center before being dropped twice and halted in the tenth round. And despite suffering his first knockdown of the bout in the fifth round, at the time of the stoppage Ortiz only trailed by one point on each of the three judges’ scorecards, and in the seventh, he seemed one or two punches away from taking the crown by force.
“I remember getting buzzed,” recalled Wilder. “How it first happened is we threw a punch together but he landed before me and that's what buzzed me the first time. And then I tried to bluff it, but I didn't bluff it. He was an experienced fighter and he caught on that I was buzzed and he came again with the right hand and then that's when it became a severe buzz. But I was never hurt. I understood everything that was going on with me. I was coaching myself internally and my inner voice was telling myself to keep going. Make sure the referee sees you. Make sure you just keep hitting him.”
Wilder survived and got his get back three rounds later. Nine months after his gut check win, Fury outboxed Wilder for much of their 12-rounder, with only two knockdowns by the Alabama native saving his title by way of a split draw. In response, Wilder regained his rep as the baddest man on the planet with a first-round blitz of Breazeale in May, while Ortiz put together three wins over Razvan Cojanu, Travis Kauffman and Christian Hammer to get in line for a return bout for the WBC belt, one Wilder had no hesitation taking.
“There were several reasons,” he said. “One, he is one of the best in the world. No one has dared to give Ortiz the opportunity even after I defeated him the first time. Most of the time when you win, especially when you knock him out, other guys are willing to fight him. They see weaknesses. They see kinks in his armor. But Ortiz's situation in this case, none of these guys wanted to fight him then and they don't want to fight him now. So I wanted to give him an opportunity again to remove all doubt about our first fight. Secondly, Ortiz has a family. I grew a great bond with Ortiz the first time with his child and my child, as she was born with a disorder as well. So I know personally how hard it is and how much it takes to take care of a child with a disorder. It takes a lot of money and it takes a lot of care and I grew a great bond with him.”
This will be no lovefest on fight night, though. As much respect or disrespect the 34-year-old has for an opponent, when the bell rings, the end goal never changes.
“A win is a win, whether it's ugly, pretty or in-between,” Wilder said. “A win is a win, and I never want to leave the ring without a man being knocked out. I knock you out. That's the rules that I play with in this boxing industry. I don't play around with no one. I don't act like I play around with you and everything I say I mean. I make it loud and clear so there is no miscommunication. I'm a knockout artist. That's what I plan to do, to knock you out. That's plain and simple.”
Fury can outbox people and captivate them with his personality. Joshua looks the part and is the nice guy who can still separate opponents from consciousness. Ruiz is everyman living out every fighter’s dream. But Wilder knocks people out with extreme prejudice and every punch he throws has the potential to end a fight. That’s why people love heavyweights. It’s clear that Wilder will never have pretty technique or look like a slick boxer in the ring. He’s as raw as he was when he first entered the pro ranks. But it works for him, and in 42 pro fights, no one has been able to beat him.
But is it all about the punch? Maybe not.
“Me and Anthony Joshua, we have different mindsets,” said Wilder of the man who saw a potential SuperFight with “The Bronze Bomber” disappear for the moment thanks to the fists of Ruiz. “My mindset is very strong. It's way stronger than him. I spoke about this before and Joshua, he called it upon himself. He knew he was going to lose one day. He had spoken it to the universe and even when it was time for it to happen, look, he gave his belts over to Ruiz. He literally transported his belts to this man. His energy gave his belts to this man. My mindset is different. I'm a totally different king. I'm a totally different beast. I'm the best in the world and I prove it each and every time I go in the ring.”
