Bernard Hopkins: Deontay Wilder Should Get Back In The Mix, Can Become Champion Again

Bernard Hopkins has backed Deontay Wilder to become heavyweight champion again — provided he moves on and gets himself back in the mix.

Wilder’s stock has fallen dramatically ever since his WBC heavyweight title defeat to Tyson Fury in February last year as he has come up with just about every excuse in the book for his first-ever professional defeat.

And with plans for a double-header between Fury and Joshua in 2021, it might be a while before Wilder gets another crack at the heavyweight title.

So what should he do according to former middleweight champion Hopkins? Dust himself off and get back in the win column.

“Pull your bootstraps up and get back in the mix. He’s still a name, he’s still relevant. That’s the key,” Hopkins told Fighthub (via DAZN). “The only thing now is you need to redeem yourself on some top quality. If it’s not in the top three, grab whoever you can grab to keep that engine going, which means you won’t have that rust on your back.

“Then call out the winner of Fury, whoever he fights, or if not, now you’ve earned your position to get back in the mix of the names like Fury or Joshua.”

Most recently, it was reported that Wilder was in talks to fight Charles Martin while Robert Helenius and Adam Kownacki were also options.

Regardless of who he fights, the best way to get back in the title picture is with wins rather than unfounded excuses.

After all, even the greats have lost as pointed out by Hopkins.

“He’s still in the mix, but now when you start saying things that you can’t prove. That’s the key,” Hopkins added. “When you’re saying things you can’t prove, you become now a sore loser. The main thing is this; he’s got a lot of talent left. I still believe in him.

“The landscape out today. He can become heavyweight champion of the world again if he chooses to be that, and if not content on being who he became and the money he’s made so far. Now he’s got to start building his legacy. The great Muhammad Ali lost. The great Sugar Ray Robinson lost.

“There are more great fighters that lost and came back, and we wouldn’t forget their names because of what they’ve done after that L. So that’s to Wilder if he ever sees it.”

Do you think Wilder can come back and redeem himself?