Deontay Wilder Still Believes He’s Elite

© Joe Camporeale-Imagn ImagesDeontay Wilder doesn’t look like the same destructive force who once terrorized the heavyweight division but he insists the narrative of decline is wrong. At 40 years old, with visible wear from recent wars, Wilder says he hasn’t lost a step at all. “I’m in my prime now,” Wilder said recently while speaking with Naji on Cigar Talk. The intimidating stare is still there. The long, coiled frame still commands attention. But the one-punch annihilations that once defined Wilder’s reign have been harder to find.

In four of his last six fights, the former WBC heavyweight champion has fallen short often decisively. In December 2023, Joseph Parker outboxed Wilder nearly…