Deontay Wilder is a special kind of fighter. He is arguably one of the best knockout artists ever and his streak of 42 consecutive knockouts is a testament to that. He also remains one of the longest-reigning Americans to hold the WBC heavyweight championship, which is no small task. And what can be said about his right hand that hasn’t already been said. But, is he better than one of the greats to ever do it?
Well, according to a recent poll on X, yes he is. Calling the ‘Bronze Bomber’ a better fighter among the two is causing a huge uproar online and fans are not having it. So who is the poll talking about and why are fans finding it ridiculous to believe that Wilder could win a fight against the legend?
A Hypothetical Fight is Causing a Real One
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The 90s was an incredible era for boxing. However, there was one fighter who was predicted to become the next Larry Holmes and when he retired in 1996 at the age of just 28, it upset a lot of boxing fans. His record of 43-1 still remains an amazing feat. The man is Riddick Bowe. To the dismay of many fans who still consider Bowe one of the most underrated heavyweights ever, the latest poll shows him taking a defeat from Deontay Wilder in a hypothetical matchup by a huge margin.
Both Riddick Bowe and Deontay Wilder are capable fighters in their own respect. They have both taken part in historical fight trilogies. However, when it comes to fans, the era that brought them to the sport always holds a special place for them. For the people who fell in love with boxing in the 90s, Riddick is superior whereas, for those who came to the sport fairly recently, Wilder is the champ. It is this tussle of generations, which is brewing on X, all thanks to a poll which was created months ago.
One user couldn’t help but blame Generation X. In his response, he explained that the disparity is because of a lot of Gen-X users who have been introduced to the sport very recently.
Boxing X is full of young go-hards who became fans recently. So they always prefer what they know & who they actually watched while coming of age. Human nature. These views become even harder to accept if, like me, you grew up in the ‘60s-‘70s. Prehistoric to most X users.
— Rick Wilkes (@rickawilkes) September 14, 2023
Another user also couldn’t help but blame the younger generation.
I can't believe ppl actually picked Wilder 😂😆 gotta be kids
— KINGofdaRING309 (@KINGofdaRING309) September 14, 2023
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The most vicious of the replies came from one user who pointed out that, “Bowe would beat Wilder worse than Fury.” The user was referring to Wilder’s three fights which he fought against Fury. Out of the three fights, Wilder lost two while the first one came to a draw.
Bowe would beat Wilder worse than Fury
— Is That Steven Brimley!!!??? (@UnbiasedFanBrim) September 14, 2023
Meanwhile, another user suggested that his “right hand” is the only reason why the ‘Bronze Bomber’ won most of his fights.
Be honest Wilder been outboxed by most, his bingo right hand saved him in most fights. He’s got one win against a legit danger/tops 10 fighter in Ortiz, besides that I can’t think of a worse heavyweight champion. I’m not counting Charles Martin.
— Sal (@DarkDestroyer82) September 14, 2023
One user, however, simply pointed out ignorance as the reason why people think Wilder could beat Bowe.
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I'm convinced most who voted never actually bothered to watch fights from the past and are giving their opinion based on what they seen on boxrec
— Damian (@pDamian1812) September 14, 2023
Deontay Wilder still has a few more years to go, something Bowe didn’t. Bowe tried to make a comeback in 2004, but he was already pretty old and out of shape by then. However, judging from the reactions, it is fair to admit that people are still very passionate about Riddick Bowe and his reign as the Heavyweight champion of the world.
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Let us also not forget that Bowe still remains the only fighter ever to knock down Evander Holyfield, a feat that even ‘Iron Mike’ could not achieve. So what do you think? Would Wilder win in a fight or would Bowe take home the victory? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.
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