Deontay Wilder Believes Oleksandr Usyk Is Afraid To Fight Him

By Boxing News - 05/27/2023 - Comments

By Vince D’Writer: Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) believes the current unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) won’t give him a shot at the title because he’s afraid.

The 37-year-old Wilder is currently occupying the role of heavyweight title contender. He’s at the top of the rankings in all four major organizations that govern boxing, and he has the WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk on his radar.

Deontay Wilder became a major factor in the heavyweight division back in January 2015 when he defeated Bermaine Stiverne by unanimous decision, and won the WBC heavyweight title.

Two years and five successful title defenses later, Wilder would give Stiverne a rematch.

The first encounter between Wilder and Stiverne was a classic battle in which both men stood in the pocket and exchanged heavy shots. The second fight in 2017 was a complete massacre, as Wilder scored a crushing knockout in the first round.

The Bronze Bomber would go on to defend his title in March 2018 when he stopped Luis Ortiz in the tenth round, and then nine months later, he had a split decision draw against Tyson Fury. Wilder and Fury would meet again in 2020 and 2021, but unfortunately for Wilder, he lost both fights.

After a year of being inactive, Deontay Wilder was ready to return to the squared circle, and he had a pair of eyes monitoring his progress. Wilder’s return to the ring was set for October 15, 2022 and Oleksandr Usyk planned on being in attendance due to the fact that he wanted to fight the winner.

The Deontay Wilder-Robert Helenius clash took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. With 11 seconds remaining in the opening round, Deontay Wilder ended the fight when he caught Robert Helenius coming in, and he landed a short right hand shot.

After taking care of business in the ring, Wilder was ready to cash in on the Usyk statement in regards to the winner receiving a unified title match, but Usyk was a no show for the event. By Usyk not showing up for the event, it created doubt and Wilder spoke about his doubt at the post-fight press conference.

“We’ll see what happens. I’m going to keep Usyk to his word. We will be calling his team and whoever his handler is, and we’re going to see what’s up, and if he’s a man of his word, what a hell of a fight it would be.”

Seven months later and we have no buzz in regards to a Usyk-Wilder clash. During a interview with ESNews, Deontay Wilder gave his opinion of why a unified championship bout between him and Usyk hasn’t happened yet.

“I’m all for it, but he’s a little afraid. He’s not a little afraid, he’s a lot of afraid. You know, I’m in the business. I know a lot of things.”

Oleksandr Usyk boxing skills are a level above Wilder’s, but Wilder has the ultimate equalizer in the form of his devastating right hand. In a potential matchup between Usyk and Wilder, Usyk will outbox Wilder for the majority of the rounds, but the question is can Usyk get up off of the canvas?

It is extremely difficult to go 12-rounds with Deontay Wilder without getting touched by his signature right hand. He has 43 wins and 42 came by the way of knockout. Wilder always says his opponent has to be perfect for 12-rounds, but he only has to be perfect for two seconds.

From a skills perspective, Oleksandr Usyk should be confident, but when it comes to getting his chin tested, one must wonder, is Usyk concerned about the Wilder right hand? Tyson Fury was successful against Wilder, but the 6’9 270 pound Fury had to get up off the canvas on four separate occasions.

Oleksandr Usyk was able to outbox Anthony Joshua in both of their bouts, but Joshua did have moments where he was able to touch Usyk. Hypothetically speaking, if Wilder was to hit Usyk with similar shots to what Joshua landed, then it could equate to a Wilder knockout victory.

A bout between the unified heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk and former WBC champion Deontay Wilder would be a classic boxer vs puncher type of fight. If somehow this fight does get signed in the future, Wilder has a message for Usyk.

“Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.”