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Deontay Wilder will fight second-tier heavyweight Stephan Shaw in his return in April at BLK Prime PPV in Atlanta, Georgia.
Many fans have never heard of the 12-year-old professional Shaw, but hardcore boxing audiences know him from his clash against Efe Ajagba. Shaw will be a good barometer to gauge Deontay’s career progress.
Must-win situation
Wilder, 39, is in a desperate situation where he must win his career after losing his two fights and four of his last five. There are many questions about whether former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs) is washed up. There is an excellent chance that Deontay will lose this fight if he continues to be afraid to throw punches like we have seen in his four losses since 2020.
This fight will show if Wilder can still be seen as a marketable fighter. If he can’t defeat Shaw (20-2, 15 KOs), it would be a sign that he needs to retire.
Crucial moment
Most would agree that Wilder’s seventh-round knockout loss to Tyson Fury in his second fight in 2020 was a turning point in his career and where he stopped being the aggressive ‘Bronze Bomber’ that fans once thought he was. once they met.
Since that fight, Deotay has seemed reluctant to pull the trigger on his punches, leading to him losing the trilogy to the soft-hitting Fury by knockout and being defeated by the gunshot-like Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. A younger, bolder version of Wilder could have won all three fights.
The rise and fall of Shaw
Shaw is a sturdy fighter, capable of taking a good shot and returning fire. He went 10 rounds with heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba, losing a close decision on January 14, 2022. However, the little-known Joseph Goodall knocked out Shaw in the sixth round on July 22, 2023. Losing to that level of opponent showed that Shaw is susceptible to a strong blow.
Before losing to Ajagba, the 6’4″ Shaw was seen as a future contender in the division and one of the guys who could potentially challenge for a world title. However, after their defeat against Ajagba, not much has been said about him since then. The knockout loss to Goodall has further damaged the diminished view boxing fans have of him.
Shaw’s last six fights:
Jason Bergman: TKO 1
Brandon Johnson: TKO 1
Joseph Goodall: defeat by TKO 6
Efe Ajagba: defeat of UD 10
Rydell Booker: OUT 8
Bernardo Márquez: I 1
