This naturally leaves Wilder vulnerable – more vulnerable than he has ever been. He is now, at 39, not only susceptible to being outboxed, which has forever been the case, but is also susceptible to being walked down, walked through, and walked on to something big coming back the other way. This we saw when Wilder rematched Tyson Fury back in 2020 and since then others have had similar success when showing no fear in the presence of Wilder. Most recently China’s Zhilei Zhang exhibited fearlessness in range of Wilder’s right hand and effectively beat the American at his own game, stopping him in round five. That night, rather than run, hide, or try to outbox him, Zhang opted to stand in the pocket with Wilder and believed in his own ability to hurt Wilder before Wilder could hurt him. He then used superior technique, as well as a natural unorthodoxy and off-kilter rhythm, to ensure he landed first and from angles Wilder, all straight punches and straight lines, was unable to conceive, much less see.
