Usyk Praises Wilder’s Power – ‘He Hits Incredibly Hard’
In the latest boxing news, Oleksandr Usyk has praised Deontay Wilder’s ability to stop opponents when speaking about the Bronze Bomber’s power.
Wilder’s boxing record stands at 43 wins, with 42 by way of knockout, two losses and a draw. Following Wilder’s consecutive defeats to Tyson Fury, there were question marks over the American’s current form.
However, Wilder returned with a bang to stop Robert Helenius in his next fight in the first round. With that being said, Usyk could not help but praise the fighter’s power.
Usyk On Wilder
“Wilder’s incredible streak is that if he hits once, you cannot fight back. I’m going with Wilder, sixty-forty in favor of Wilder. He hits incredibly hard. Deontay is able to send someone flying when he touches them,” Usyk
Those comments addressed Usyk’s belief that Wilder would be a favorite against Anthony Joshua in a potential bout. And yet, when it came to Usyk himself, the American accused the unified heavyweight champion of ducking him.
That is the last thing which would be expected to be fired at Usyk’s direction since the fighter is a former undisputed cruiserweight champion. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian is also the current unified heavyweight champion.
And in the process of achieving both, Usyk has shown time and again that he is willing to go into a fighter’s own backyard to win the belts. And yet, Wilder did not see things that way.
Wilder On Usyk
“I don’t think Usyk really cares. As long as he ain’t got to fight me. I don’t think he cares, as long as he don’t have to fight me, it’s all good, because that man is terrified of me. He’s dodged me so many times and I know. And don’t act like I don’t know, I don’t want anyone to come out like, ‘Usyk said this and that.’ It would be a lie because I know a lot of s**t. I’m in the business, I know. He’s been offered a lot of money to fight me, many times. But he’s denied it. They said they do not want Bomb Squad problems,” Wilder
As of now, Usyk is currently in line to face Fury for all the belts. The expectation was that a fight would take place on December 23rd, 2023, after Fury’s win over Francis Ngannou.
But given that the Gypsy King had struggled to deal with the former UFC heavyweight champion, as he was floored in the third round, his split-decision win was met with by concerns.
As such, a bout is likely to take place in February 2024. And yet, when it came to Wilder, the boxer appears no closer to finding an opponent himself.
A fight with Joshua in Saudi Arabia broke down, with no other venue appearing to be in the conversation. Meanwhile, Wilder’s fight with Andy Ruiz Jr. broke down due to disagreements over purse splits.
The American offered 70-30, while the Mexican demanded an equal split. So with no fight on the horizon, Wilder cannot continue to live off his past knockouts. Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingblitz.
