Comments Thread For: Why A Deontay Wilder Move To Cruiserweight Makes Little Sense

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Andreas Hale - Although the heavyweight division is in the midst of a resurgence with one of the biggest fights that can be made in boxing seemingly close to coming to fruition, WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder insists that he has plans to move down to cruiserweight after he beats Anthony Joshua and unifies the world titles. "I've been thinking about once I unify the heavyweight division, moving ...
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[JimRaynor]

How about Deontay concentrate on making the AJ fight first please.

[TheCell8]

He shouldn't even consider it.

The top guys have already said they're moving up to HW after the tournament. Also, there's no US audience for CWs. It's all in Europe and the money isn't even comparable to HW money. Plus, cutting down to 205, even for someone like Wilder, would be too much at his age.

[Bronx2245]

"If he’s looking to unify the titles at cruiserweight, he’d have to go after the following names: Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine (WBC and WBO titleholder) and Russia’s Murat Gassiev (IBF & WBA titleholder). Neither are names that a casual boxing fan would recognize. And, certainly, there wouldn’t be a huge payday to accompany either fight. Surely, Wilder is banking on the fact that a win over Joshua would boost his marketability . While that is true, it’s still hard to believe that Wilder against either Usyk or Gassiev would be a fight that could draw on pay per view. It’s fun to fantasize about things such as this, but boxing is a business and it’s difficult to fathom that Wilder would do this."

Usyk and Gassiev are not known to the casuals, and they're not made for PPV yet, but neither is Dominic Brezeale! I think Wilder is trying to figure out what he can do to get a good opponent, because he can't get a fight with Joshua, even when he offered $50 million dollars! Wilder should just sit tight, because hopefully Usyk and Gassiev come to the HW division like they said they will! And if he's going to starve down to 200, it should only be for one person...Andre Ward!

[jonnyc420]

Even Boxingscene admits Wilder has a taste for trash opponents. Scared to go to the UK to back up his big mouth. Lol

[anonymous2.0]

Wilder said in a video post on Instagram. "I mean there has never been a heavyweight champion ever go down in weight. I mean just for the fun of it. Just take over the cruiserweight division while maintaining the heavyweight division.”

In theory this sounds like a commendable move

Literally when has a champion going down a division to win belts considered commendable? I cannot think of one fighter who has done so.

[TexasCowBoy]

deontayduckus wilderquackus has quacked again

[jas]

Crusierweight has better fighters

Hats off to wilder

/thread

[Madison Boxing]

If he can make the weight I've got nothing against it. There may be nowhere else for him to go once Joshua plants his feet, throws the right and knocks him out in front of 90k at wembley

[Holler]

I don't think anything will likely come of this, it struck me more as an idle boast, 'I'm so great I'll unify then clean out another division too' this despite there being far less money and not many opponents who would generate US interest.


Still, it's possible it's some sort of contingency plan, maybe if he loses to AJ and the division looks threatening to him without his WBC belt. Wilder's tall with good reach, but he's giving away a weight advantage to some of the super heavyweights who are either here or on the way.

If AJ's able to out power him then others will see a weakness. Miller or Whyte for instance. Or some of the coming talent, Joyce, Dubois etc. He's 32 and his primary asset, his speed and movement, will not last forever. He may keep his power however at a lower weight, in which case even with his technical flaws he could be a force in the division.

Unlikely, but entertaining if it did happen.