Opinion: Time for Deontay Wilder to Take the Next Big Step

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There’s a distinct void in boxing now that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is gone. Love him or loathe him, he was an attraction, but his in-ring ability left a lot to be desired for those who like their fights filled with action. Deontay Wilder has the opportunity to fill that void in ways Mayweather never, ever could.

The 6-foot-7, 220-pound WBC champion has a wicked knockout rate -- he’s 34-0 with 33 KOs -- and an engaging personality that is almost as big as his punching power. He won the bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics and has left a trail of bodies in his wake since turning pro on November 15, 2008. “The Bronze Bomber” has all the makings of a superstar, yet the general public has no idea who he is. Something is wrong with that.

Wilder on Saturday will defend his heavyweight title against Johann Duhaupas in his hometown of Birmingham, Ala. The fight will be broadcast on NBC, as Wilder will be the first heavyweight champion to fight on primetime television since before he was born in 1985.

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There’s an opportunity for Wilder to bring excitement back to boxing as the leader of a heavyweight division about which American fans have not cared since the days of Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. With Wladimir Klitschko hijacking the division and holding it hostage overseas, American fight fans have taken little interest in the weight class. Klitschko doesn’t fight in the states, nor does he have to. Because of that, nobody cares. However, when you look at Wilder, you can tell he has “it.” He has the size and strength to bring heavyweight boxing back to the States. The problem is that nobody has been looking at him enough to notice.

Maybe that will all change against the unheralded Duhaupas on the Premier Boxing Champions on NBC broadcast. However, if it ends up anything like his last fight with Eric Molina, people may chalk up Wilder to being little more than a great American hope that will eventually fizzle out when he faces real competition.

You see, in Wilder’s last fight against Molina -- a man best known for getting flattened in the first round by Chris Arreola in 2012 -- the champion was supposed to dominate and impress. He ended up scoring a ninth-round knockout, but it took entirely too long and showcased some holes in the still-developing heavyweight’s game. Critics immediately noticed that he was getting hit far too much. In the third round, Molina hurt Wilder badly with a wild left hook. Wilder recovered and eventually ended Molina’s night, but it was nothing about which to write home; and frankly, sports writers are desperately looking for a heavyweight about which to write home.

Wilder could be that man, but he’s going to have to lay waste to the 32-2 Duhaupas in devastating fashion. If he somehow allows that bout to go the way the Molina fight went on national television, he’s going to be written off by the public.

Even though the talent pool in the heavyweight division is shallow, it’s up to Wilder to destroy everything in his path. After Duhaupas, Wilder and his team need to demand better opposition. Alexander Povetkin (29-1), Kubrat Pulev (20-1) and Bryant Jennings (19-1) should all be on Wilder’s hit list in preparation for a showdown with Klitschko. He can’t continue to face leaky opposition with no resume. People who don’t know Wilder are going to google him, and if they find articles tearing down his opposition, it’s going to be difficult to convince people he’s the next big thing.

Wilder has the look of a sports celebrity and his record should speak for itself, but it hasn’t. Now is the time. All the stars are aligned for him to make a run at being the biggest thing in boxing. The only thing standing in the way is himself.

Andreas Hale is a content producer for Jay Z's LifeandTimes.com and editor-in-chief of PremierWuzHere.com, as well as a frequent Sherdog.com columnist. Check out his archive here.