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Why Deontay Wilder Should Consider Fighting in the New Bridgerweight Division?

Published 01/09/2021, 5:12 AM EST

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Former WBC champion Deontay Wilder has lost his dominance in the heavyweight division after suffering his maiden professional defeat against Tyson Fury last year. While he is yet to announce a return, Wilder can look at the newly formed bridgerweight class before finalizing his upcoming plans.

‘The Bronze Bomber’ had a sensational run in the heavyweight roster that saw him become the WBC world champion with 41 KOs in his 42 wins. He has registered his name as a lethal KO puncher until facing the loss against Fury. That said, Deontay Wilder doesn’t need to prove his worth at heavyweight since he is already an elite in that weight class.

He can restart his career on a fresh note in a new roster that can turn him into a two-division world champion soon. According to the ongoing heavyweight plans, Fury and Joshua will lock horns to unify the belts in 2021. So, it puts Wilder out of the title picture for the time.

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He can face any of the other top-rated contenders in Dillian Whyte, Oleksandr Usyk amongst others, but Wilder might not fit well in a non-title fight at this stage of his career. So, he can consider fighting in the bridgerweight unit before turning his attention towards the heavyweights again.

Deontay Wilder- A 2-division champion?

Wilder has surpassed several elites on his way to grab the WBC title in the heavyweight division. However, bridgerweight is comparatively new and a title fight might come faster than any of the pre-organized divisions in boxing.

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Although boxing has several weight classes already, the heavyweight division had a massive range from 200 lbs to above. Meanwhile, 220-224 lbs will now be restricted under this new division, and Wilder can register his dominance in it.

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Deontay Wilder will have lesser competition at bridgerweight

Wilder doesn’t seem afraid of challenges. He fought Fury while he was seemingly in his prime and had other options to look for. That said, Bridgerweight can be an easy road to walk on for ‘The Bronze Bomber’. The roster is still is not ready and heavyweights might hesitate to transition into the newer divisions. However, several boxers like Oleksandr Usyk, a former cruiserweight, and Luis Ortiz can opt to box there.

Also, some heavyweights can opt to cut weight and have a shot in a new division. This will eliminate prominent heavyweight names such as Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte, and Tyson Fury.

Having dominated the heavyweight division for years, Wilder can be a meteoric force in the bridgerweight division. While Fury and Joshua battle each other to grab hold of the heavyweight roster, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ can silently capture the bridgerweight unit.

Deontay Wilder can enhance his legacy with a title at bridgerweight

WBC  has formed the Bridgerweight division to honor a six-year-old child. Young Bridger Walker saved his sister from a vicious dog attack a few months back. Although Bridger suffered severe injuries, he still rescued his sister from being mauled. Thus, Wilder can enhance his and the newly created division’s legacy by opting to fight at bridgerweight.

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Fury vs Joshua

Boxing fans want to see the Ultimate British heavyweight showdown happen in 2021. But Wilder’s entry can force Fury to opt for the trilogy fight. Meanwhile, fans equally want ‘The Bronze Bomber’ to return.

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So, the Bridgerweight division can come in handy as Wilder can drop a weight class and return quickly once Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finish their unification bouts.

Amid all the possibilities, Deontay Wilder needs to make an announcement soon. Do you think he will return in 2021? If yes, which division will it be at?

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Written by:

Raj Sarkar

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A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. He combined his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports and has a combined 2000 plus bylines in MMA and boxing over the last two years.
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