A year back, former two-time heavyweight champ and Olympic gold medalist George Foreman voiced his thoughts on Deontay Wilder. When asked if ‘The Bronze Bomber’ can be considered one of the greatest and hardest-hitting heavyweights of all time, the 71-year-old’s response surprised many.
He responded that Deontay Wilder is not at par with boxing legends like Joe Louis, Frazier, and even ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson. He was then asked if Wilder hits harder than Mike Tyson in his prime, Foreman said that ‘Iron’ Mike operated on a completely different tangent.
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George Foreman pointed out that it is probably too early to say that Wilder hits harder than someone like Mike Tyson or even Joe Frazier. He mentioned that he has not done enough to reach that level of heavyweight glory and recognition yet.
The 71-year-old then said that the Alabama native needs a massive win against a top contender to be included in the heavyweight GOAT conversation.
“He’s good but he hasn’t approached Joe Louis, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson. No, he hasn’t approached that kind of recognition yet. No way.
“For me, he has to have a performance like Mike Tyson did over Trevor Berbick. Boy, when I saw that, I was down visiting Vegas, and I thought, ‘This guy is a nightmare!‘” said George Foreman.
Deontay Wilder could be the hardest hitting heavyweight of all time
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Most often forget who ‘The Bronze Bomber’ really is. Before Tyson Fury stepped into the narrative, Deontay Wilder was undefeated with 40 wins and 39 knockouts. To understand who he truly was before Fury, think about his knockout rate for a minute.
Read More: Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder Power Comparison: Who Hits Harder?
He walked over his opponents and quite literally dropped all of them except Bermane Stiverne in 2015. However, that did not sit well with Wilder. So, he knocked Stiverne out cold in a 2017 rematch. With that, Deontay Wilder has essentially dropped every opponent he has ever faced, except Tyson Fury.
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via Getty
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 03: Deontay Wilder walks to a neutral corner after Luis Ortiz goes down but it was ruled a slip during their WBC Heavyweight Championship fight at Barclays Center on March 3, 2018 in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
A BleacherReport article even suggested that Deontay Wilder could be compared to the likes of Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, George Foreman, and Mike Tyson. The fighter stats piece also highlighted that ‘The Bronze Bomber’ might actually hit harder than the most powerful heavyweight punchers of all time.
“Wilder compares favorably to such beasts from boxing history as Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, George Foreman, and Mike Tyson.
Watch this story – Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder 3 Timeline
“The idea that Wilder could even be listed among those stalwarts is breathtaking, and the stone-cold fact that he might actually hit harder than any of them is something that shouldn’t go unnoticed,” said Kelsey McCarson in the BR article.
Do you think Deontay Wilder is the hardest-hitting heavyweight of all time?
Also Read: WATCH: Deontay Wilder Says Exactly What Muhammad Ali Said Before Defeating George Foreman
