Deontay Wilder and the claim of prime years at 40

Deontay Wilder says he is still in his prime. The record and the recent film tell a harsher story. At 40, the former WBC heavyweight titleholder is negotiating his way back toward the center of the division while carrying three stoppage losses across his last four defeats. The words came plainly on Cigar Talk with Naji: “I’m in my prime now.” They landed without hesitation. The problem sits in the details that follow him into the ring.

Wilder’s last meaningful performances show a fighter whose timing has thinned and whose base no longer resets quickly once the right hand misses. Power remains, but it arrives later and less often. That delay changes everything at heavyweight.

The Parker and Zhang fights exposed the footwork decay

The December 2023 loss to Joseph Parker was a clean technical defeat. Parker won nearly every round by denying Wilder set feet. He stayed just outside the right hand, took away the straight line, and forced Wilder to punch while reaching. From ringside, you could hear the feet dragging before the shots came. The right hand landed rarely. The reset never arrived.

Six months later, Zhilei Zhang took advantage of the same flaw. Zhang did not rush. He leaned on Wilder, cut off the ring, and waited for the widened stance. When the left hand landed, it came off balance. The stoppage in the fifth round followed sustained pressure, not a single moment.

The Herndon fight did not answer the questions

Wilder returned on June 27 against Tyrrell Herndon and scored two knockdowns before a seventh-round stoppage. On paper, that reads like recovery. In the gym language, it raised more questions than it solved. The right hand still carries danger, but the delivery required space and time. Against a fighter there to be hit, that worked. Against top-contenders, it rarely does.

Wilder’s explanation is preservation. “I started boxing very late,” he said. “I started at 21.” The late start argument only holds if the body mechanics stay sharp. The recent fights show slower proprioception and less efficient lead foot placement. When the lead foot lags, the right hand follows.

Usyk talks and the technical reality

Negotiations are ongoing for a fight with undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, targeted for the first half of 2026. On skill alone, the geometry favors Usyk. He lives on angles, denies straight-line attacks, and punishes fighters who need a full beat to load power.

Wilder enters that discussion with a record of 44-4-1, 43 KOs, and three stoppage losses among those defeats. The claim of prime years rests on belief. The evidence rests on balance, foot placement, and recovery speed. Right now, the evidence says Wilder is still dangerous, still tough, but operating with less margin than his own words suggest.