Evander Holyfield is one of the most accomplished boxers of all time so is well-placed to comment on the career of Deontay Wilder.
For many years, Wilder ruled the heavyweight division with his fearsome knockout power. Until 2018, he knocked out every man he faced including the likes of Luis Ortiz, Bermaine Stiverne – at the second time of asking – and Dominic Breazeale.
He then entered a trilogy with Tyson Fury and kicked off with a controversial draw despite knocking his man down in the final round. The next two fights saw Fury switch up his game plan, box on the font foot and knock Wilder out.
In three fights since, Wilder has had an easy knockout of Robert Helenius, but was then defeated on points by Joseph Parker and stopped inside five rounds by Zhilei Zhang last June.
Speaking to FightHub, former undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champ Holyfield was asked whether Wilder could return and still return to recapture a belt.
“It’s going to have to do with him and how much he listens. Sometimes when you get older you don’t want to listen any more. You think that if you ain’t got it then thats it.
The thing is, is he able to go back and start working on little things that sometimes people think it ain’t much but that’s the only thing that he don’t do well? He don’t take the steps when a person comes in and out, the little fundamental things that you get when you have been doing it your whole life.”
