“He could just be completely blown to pieces, or he could come back and put on a great performance and knock Chisora out in a couple of rounds,” Hearn told iFL TV.
Wilder has struggled of late, going 2-3 in his last five fights. After the Fury trilogy, he suffered losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. If his timing and reflexes are off, Hearn suggests he could look “completely shattered”.
Even in a win against a largely unknown opponent like Tyrell Anthony Herndon last year, Wilder didn’t look like the “Bronze Bomber” of 2015. Taking seven rounds to stop a guy who was knocked out by prospect Richard Torrez Jr. in two rounds. has been dusted off, indicates that the explosive power has died down.
By suggesting that Wilder might be “shot”, Hearn offers an excuse for the recent string of losses that does not involve questioning Wilder’s fundamental ability. If a warrior is “shot” it implies that they were once an elite betrayed simply by their body.
Other than Luis Ortiz, who was about 39 and 40 when they fought, and Bermane Stiverne, Wilder’s 10 title defenses have come against “B-side” opponents. When he finally stepped up to the current elite, Parker, Zhang, and a peak form Fury, he went 0-4. It’s hard to say someone is “shot” when they simply lose at the level they might have belonged at all.
In Wilder’s losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, he looked timid. It wasn’t a case of his chin failing or his legs giving out. He stopped pulling the trigger. Even in his June 2025 win against Tyrell Anthony Herndon, Wilder looked hesitant.
Fury’s fight with Francis Ngannou and his loss to Oleksandr Usyk retrospectively damaged Wilder’s stock. If the best version of Wilder couldn’t beat a version of Fury that we now see significant technical and physical holes, it suggests that Wilder’s ceiling was lower than the hype suggested.
By using the “shot” narrative, Hearn and other promoters avoid the more awkward conversation: Wilder was a one-trick pony whose trick was figured out.
Derek Chisora is 42 and has 13 losses. He is the definition of a “gatekeeper”. If Wilder is truly the elite force he claimed to be during his five-year title reign, he should be able to dispose of Chisora with ease, regardless of age.
If Wilder struggles or looks “intimidated” again, it will likely confirm that the “Bronze Bomber” era was more about optics and matchups than pound-for-pound greatness.
