He’s a brawler. He’s overrated. He lacks the technical skill it takes to be a respected boxer. He hasn’t fought anybody formidable. His boxing styles “sucks.” All he has is a right hand.
The abovementioned assertions are just a few of the many expressed to diminish the true legacy of today’s best heavyweight in the sport of boxing, Deontay Wilder.
Though Wilder is America’s heavyweight champion, no other athlete in the sport has fostered the amount of contempt and disregard that Wilder has. Other boxers, odds makers, promoters, boxing experts and many other figures in the sport have failed miserably at giving Tuscaloosa, Ala., native the respect he deserves which legitimizes and reinforces the observable fact that Black American athletes are severely underappreciated for the contributions they make to American democracy.
Interestingly, in spite of all the negative criticism, the stigma, the disparaging remarks and even the overwhelmingly disturbing racial undertones, “The Bronze Bomber” has 40 wins and no losses, 39 of which came by knock out. He supposedly has no skill or defense, yet he’s never been knocked down in his career. They say he lacks mechanics – which is true to an extent – but he has out boxed and demolished every challenger set before him.
Despite what the analysts said, despite the laughable threats from opponents like Bermane Stiverne and Luis Ortiz (both of whom were victims of Wilder’s devastating power punches), Wilder has proven all doubters wrong. The brother is a one-of-a-kind athlete, one who has shown tenacity and resilience.
Wilder is one of the few boxers willing to travel anywhere in the world to face any opponent. He’s a man of integrity, he’s forthright, has never ducked anyone or shown any signs of trepidation, and is one of the fiercest competitors the boxing world has seen since Mike Tyson. No other boxer has posted a higher knockout ratio in the first 40 pro bouts than Wilder. One would be impelled to think this deserves at least a little admiration and respect.
What this shows is the how glaringly underappreciated Black athletes are, particularly by American sports enthusiasts. Wilder is only one of a countless group of Black athletes who have made major contributions to their respective sport – but because of white supremacy and privilege in the sports industry along with racially biased media coverage, the respect he receives is subpar. Wilder is perhaps the leading Black athlete in recent years who is not valued highly enough in the sports world. Others include Floyd Mayweather, Allen Iverson, the “Fab Five,” Michael Vick, Hank Aaron, Stephon Marbury, Muhammad Ali and many others.
Historically, foreign athletes reap far more acknowledgement from their native countries than Black American athletes do from the U.S. Deplorably, when Black athletes travel to compete athletically in foreign nations, they are esteemed in those cultures substantially higher than they are in America – as opposed to White American athletes being deemed national heroes (Jerry West, Gerry Cooney, Larry Bird, Jerry West, Conor McGregor, Tom Brady, etc.).
In a recent pre-fight press conference in Brooklyn, Wilder expressed major discontentment with hypocritical American, so-called patriotic boxing fans wherein he suggested that the modern-day Black American athlete is among the most undervalued figures in society.
“It seems like other countries got it together but us (America). We always lackin and [expletive] but we’re supposed to be the most praised country in the world, so we say,” said the 6-foot-7 knockout artist at an October press conference preceding his second bout against Stiverne.
“And the reason America is so big is because we got so many different people over here. It’s so many people [from] so many countries but when they come here (foreigners) they still represent they people, and that’s what I love.
“As Americans we don’t even represent and support our own. We don’t even support our own then we wonder why the sport is what it is… But the thing about other countries, their fighters, their people are behind them. They support them full-heartedly.”
Undeniably, boxing aficionados like analyst Max Kellerman, trainer Naseem Richardson and scout Sam Watson have been cited acknowledging Wilder’s appreciable impact in and out of the ring. Likewise, Eic Molina, another one of Wilder’s opponents, had the decency to admit that “he represents the sport well.”
The Bronze Bomber is well on his way to being one of the top five heavyweights in history of boxing, and will be remembered as one of the most dominant athletes in American sports.
Oh, and by the way, Wilder will knock out and dethrone renowned UK heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua when the two go head-to-head, whenever that may be.
The under appreciation of Black athletes is troublingly clear; but that problematic reality will not stop Black athletes from the incomparable impact and influence they will have on the world.
Demetrius Dillard is a North Carolina-based freelance writer. He can be contacted at demetriusd33@gmail.com .
