Boxing legend reveals Deontay Wilder’s biggest weakness
Former heavyweight champion Chris Byrd has revealed that he believes Deontay Wilder cannot handle pressure and that is his biggest weakness, according to a report on the Boxing Scene.
Wilder is the WBC champion and is gearing up to face IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO champion Anthony Joshua, who Byrd believes is the more composed of the two.
Byrd is pleased with how the heavyweight division is shaping up and admits that a fight between the two could go either way. However, after Wilder’s last fight, Byrd has some concerns.
When speaking about Wilder, Byrd said:
Deontay Wilder is a scary monster but he’s beatable just like anybody else. In Wilder’s last fight, that old man (Luis Ortiz) was getting ready to stop him. If he had thrown three or four more punches he would have stopped Wilder.
So, if Anthony Joshua puts pressure on him, he might win. Wilder can’t take pressure. If you do it the right way and use solid defence to get close, he can’t take it.
But if you give that man distance and find yourself in his range, at the end of his punches, he will knock your head clean off. He has power that is unbelievable.
Wilder and his team agreed to a two-fight deal with Joshua earlier in the month, with Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn immediately sending a contract to the American in an attempt to get the negotiations sorted as quickly as possible so the fight can take place at the end of this year.
If not, then Joshua will need to face WBA mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin first.