Wilder’s rocky road to respect

Deontay Wilder is desperate for a signature win. On Saturday night, the WBC heavyweight champion finally gets his shot against Luis Ortiz, writes Emmet Ryan

Anthony Joshua (r) could await the winner of Wilder-Ortiz. Pic Getty

The standing of Deontay Wilder tells you all about how much heavyweight boxing has changed since the turn of the century. There was a time that the idea of a heavyweight champion not being American was seen as a freakish miracle, the type of thing that usually caused observers to raise eyebrows as to how they got a shot at a strap.

An American wearing a belt, any of the major heavyweight titles, ...