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Down-and-out former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and journeyman Curtis Harper have reportedly signed contracts for a struggle on April twenty sixth to be proven on BLK Prime from Atlanta.
Wilder vs. Harper
Harper, 36, has some pop in his punches, which makes him a menace to beating the gunshy, chinny ‘Bronze Bomber’ Wilder. A knockout loss to Harper must be seen as the top for Deontay. Dropping to this degree of a fighter would sign that the Alabama native isn’t able to being a serious participant within the division.
Lance Pugmire reviews the 39-year-old Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs) and Harper (18-11, 12 KOs) have inked contracts for this struggle. It’s a determined scenario for Deontay, as he’s not received a struggle in three years since 2022 and has been crushed in 4 out of his final 5 fights.
Deontay’s Final 5 Fights:
Zhilei Zhang: TKO 5 loss
Joseph Parker: UD 12 loss
Robert Helenius: KO 1 win
Tyson Fury: KO 11 loss
Tyson Fury: TKO 7 loss
Many followers really feel Wilder ought to retire already. From 2012 to 2018, he regarded like a shadow of the fighter he was on the zenith of his profession.
Within the towering 6’7″ Bronze Bomber’s final struggle, he was viciously knocked out within the fifth spherical by the two-time Olympian Zhilei Zhang on June 1st, 2024, in Riyadh.
Turki Al-Sheikh hadn’t given up on Wilder regardless of failing his earlier struggle on one among his Riyadh playing cards in a one-sided 12-round unanimous choice loss to Joseph Parker on December 23, 2023. Curiously, Deontay wasn’t included in Turki’s huge February twenty second occasion in Riyadh. Has he given up on him?
Deontay regarded timid and afraid to throw punches in his losses to Zhang and Parker. He principally held again, posing as if to throw however not letting his palms go. The query is whether or not that’s on account of his coach, Malik Scott, or his age. It additionally could possibly be that Wilder’s two knockout losses to Tyson Fury made him gunshy, afraid to throw for concern of being countered. That’s how Fury beat him.
Harper’s Huge Shot
Harper was busy in 2024, profitable 4 fights towards obscure second-tier opposition. In 2023, he fought 3 times, shedding to Richard Torrez, Guido Vianello and Damian Knyba. Harper made it to the eighth spherical towards the heavy puncher Torrez earlier than being stopped.
If he can land that lengthy towards Wilder, he’s obtained a superb opportunity of beating him as a result of it doesn’t take a lot to knock out the Bronze Bomber these days. The slapper Fury stopped him twice, and he couldn’t punch his method out of a moist paper bag.
If all of it goes dangerous for Deontay and he loses, it’s not the top of the world. Yeah, he’d be destitute career-wise, however he’d nonetheless have his huge $30 million fortune. That’s sufficient motive for him to be completely happy. He’s gotten lots out of his profession along with his meager abilities and simply right-hand bazooka.
