By: Sean Crose
So yes, it looks like the end is nigh for former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. Even if the towering Alabaman continues to fight after his crushing stoppage loss to Zhilei Zhang this past Saturday in Saudi Arabia, it’s hard to imagine the 38 year old returning to the thunderous form fans once expected. How, though, will fans and history look at the man known as “The Bronze Bomber?” The fact is, pretty well indeed. Although Wilder didn’t walk away with the undisputed heavyweight championship in his possession, he’s has without doubt provided his sport with some notable memories.
I still believe Wilder was the most powerful puncher in the history of boxing. Look at the old footage and ask yourself who was more powerful than Wilder was. Mike Tyson threw in combinations. Wladimir Klitschko’s shots, vicious as they were, didn’t send things crashing down to their foundations. George Foreman? Ernie Shavers? Joe Louis? Jack Dempsey? Powerful punchers, all – extraordinarily powerful punchers. But none of them regularly turned out the lights the way Wilder did against the likes of Artur Szpilka and others.
It’s also worth remembering that Wilder bought some much needed excitement to the post Klitschko era of the heavyweight realm. His personality was as colorful as his punching was potent, making the guy must see viewing. Sure he was crude in the practice of his trade, but Wilder was more than just a banger. Nine times out of ten, Wilder found ways to make those punches land. Just ask Tyson Fury, who took more of those punches than most fighters have. And while Fury ended up beating Wilder two out of three times, Fury has also been open about just how sensationally damaging Wilder’s punches were. What’s more, there’s now an argument, yet to be proven or disproven, making the rounds that Fury’s trio of fights with Wilder took the best out of the Englishman.
One thing that can’t be argued is that Wilder not only made his mark in the heavyweight division; he made a lot of money, too. It’s easy to look at Wilder as being overrated until you study his career objectively. Then you realize the guy would be dangerous in any era of the sport. And, again, the man made a ton of money for himself and for his family. If that’s not enough, he held the WBC heavyweight title for years.
Sure, Wilder has had his share of cringe moments. He’s also indicated that innocent players were guilty of harming his record. None of that is acceptable. Taken as a whole, however, the resume of Deontay Wilder has been one of the strongest to be found in the past ten years of the heavyweight history.