Do you BELIVE in Deontay Wilder?

[marvelousmatt]

They were world class. Just because they were at one point doesn't mean they are forever. If you think they were world class when he beat them.... well, I don't know what to say

In the next 2-3 years Wilder will hit that magic 30 year old age for a HW and fill out to about 235-240 lbs. He has the correct time frame,hype, nationality, and mgt. team to make millions. Maybe even Tyson-Holyfield type of bank, if he does things the right way. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Compare him to the Nordic Nightmare whose handlers now have to have him step back for 1.5-2 years as his flaws were exposed in his last 3 fights.

[New England]

He is a full grown man at 28 he is not going to fill out another 25lbs because he is just naturally build like a basketball player and no they have not been trying to get him rounds they have been matching him against softies to build a meaningless ko record because people will buy into it which they eventually have now thinking he could be a serious contender which I doubt he can.

Haven't you been watching boxing for some time? I have, we have seen this before and all signs point to hypejob he just needs to meet his HW version of Carson Jones.

i've been watching boxing for about 15 years now, and i've been reading about it for longer than that. i was involved closely with boxing for a number of years. i know about as much about boxing as anybody else on this forum, and if you care to ask around you can confirm that.

wilder will fill out. the strongest age of a big man is his early 30's, not his late 20's. with a HW, you need to consider durability as much as you do power. just look at his legs and tell me seriously that the man couldn't use extra weight, or that there's no possibility of him filling out.


the firtha, likhovich fights were not supposed to pad his record with early knockouts. goldenboy's eric gomez knows plenty about moving a fighter. firtha ctually went 4 rounds. when you're talking about a career that's been less than 60 rounds, that's a step in the right direction.


he won bronze in beijing. he had 14 amateur fights when he qualified.

just watch him fight. he is not ready. maybe he'll never be ready. rushing him doesn't help anything. he's been 53 rounds as a professional. putting him in with a top fighter now risks a loss, and a potetial for million dollar paydays. moving him properly risks nothing, and allows him to mature physically, and most importantly learn to box.


at this point i wouldhave put wilder in with better boxers. i don't have a time machine to go back and teach the kid how to box. you need to work within the confines of reality. matching wilder with guys who can go rounds without beating him is the best bet for maximizing the longterm economic potential of the fighter.


wilder's a polarizing figure already. lot of people want to see him lose, and want hiim matched accordingly.

if you want the best for wilder, and you're looking at his next fight, you put him in there with a durable guy who can go rounds in defeat.

[Black Barty]

if you want the best for wilder, and you're looking at his next fight, you put him in there with a durable guy who can go rounds in defeat.

He should have been put in with such a guy several fights ago. I can understand not wanting to rush a potential superstar, but he is being held back. And as I have repeatedly said, when a prospect is held back, it usually means he has a weak chin. Just look at Berto for example. We all know how long he kept fighting undersized no hopers and hasbeens, and what happened when he finally faced a real live body.

[New England]

He should have been put in with such a guy several fights ago. I can understand not wanting to rush a potential superstar, but he is being held back. And as I have repeatedly said, when a prospect is held back, it usually means he has a weak chin. Just look at Berto for example. We all know how long he kept fighting undersized no hopers and hasbeens, and what happened when he finally faced a real live body.

if you read the rest of the post, you'd know that i don't have a time machine


some small steps early in his career would have been good, but you have to consider his lack of amateur career. considering that we can't go back in time, we've got to match him in accordance with his current level of experience and ability.

he was also only around 200 lbs when he first turned professional, and the intent is for him to fill out to around 235 or so.


and onto berto; his chin isn't great, but it's certainly not glass. he took some bombs against ortiz, guerrero, and soto karass prior to the stoppage. the punches shake him, and he shows it because his balance is poor, but it took him several hard fights to get stopped. soto karass has hurt durable guys as well. carson jones, marcos maidana, and others. i'm not saying berto has some iron jaw, but it's not the only reason he had favorable matching.

berto was protected because haymon had serious pull with HBO at the time, and could get him million dollar paydays against easy fighters. it wasn't all about his chin.

he also wasn't matched nearly as soft as some people make out. within 4-5 years of turning pro he was in a tough fight against collazo. he gets a ton of extra crap for his matchmaking because of how much he got paid.

[The Hammer]

Maybe he is the heavyweight Messiah.

After all, they keep raising shot old boxers from the dead to be his opponents.

[Bermuda]

beating up on obese cab drivers doesn't really get my attention

[US Dirk Killer]

In the next 2-3 years Wilder will hit that magic 30 year old age for a HW and fill out to about 235-240 lbs. He has the correct time frame,hype, nationality, and mgt. team to make millions. Maybe even Tyson-Holyfield type of bank, if he does things the right way. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Compare him to the Nordic Nightmare whose handlers now have to have him step back for 1.5-2 years as his flaws were exposed in his last 3 fights.

How does that make Liakhovich and Audley Harrison Elite at the time Wilder beat them?

[SN!PER]

His handlers didn't want him to become mandatory for Wladimir yet because he only had 29 amateur fights. Skills can be taught, power cannot. Wilder is going to bomb the living hell out of these boys when they finally take off his chains.

[Bigg Rigg]

Can he beat Wlad??? Idk, kinda doubt it. Can he beat the other heavyweights?? I think so.

[packyow]

I think he fails at the top level..I'm not sure he's a better prospect than say David Price..