Will Deontay Wilder be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame?
Following his recent loss against Joseph Parker in the Boxing Day of Reckoning, former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder appears to be at or nearing the end of his boxing career. Wilder has just one victory since 2019, and he has three losses. In addition to recently losing a lopsided unanimous decision against Parker, Wilder was also stopped in the final two bouts of his trilogy against Tyson Fury. His lone victory during this time came against Robert Helenius, where Wilder stopped The Nordic Nightmare in round 1.
Wilder was the WBC champion for more than 5 years, and during that time he made 10 consecutive defenses of the WBC belt. That puts Wilder in exclusive company. The only other heavyweights who have had 10 or more consecutive title defenses in a single reign include: Muhammad Ali, who had 10 consecutive defenses during his 2nd reign as heavyweight champion; Tommy Burns, who had 11 consecutive title defenses; Wladimir Klitschko, who had 18 consecutive title defenses; Larry Holmes, who had 20 consecutive defenses; and the great Joe Louis who had 25 consecutive defenses.
Wilder’s championship reign was certainly not the best in heavyweight history, where many observers feel his run lacked real substance. But all the same, 10 consecutive title defenses is something which places Wilder in exclusive company. Despite his lack of success in recent years, Wilder’s career is not necessarily over yet. It is possible he can still go on to accomplish more, where he can add to his legacy. On the flipside, he could go on to lose more, but I don’t believe that will harm him much here given his age, as fans tend to be forgiving of heavyweight losses for former champions in their late 30s. Then of course, it is possible that Wilder may never fight again.
Will Deontay Wilder be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame?
This edition of Rummy’s Corner will attempt to provide an answer to that question while taking a quick look back at the professional boxing career of Deontay Wilder. Please watch and enjoy the video for one man’s opinion. This is Rummy’s Corner (produced and narrated by Geoffrey Ciani).