Wednesday 6 July 2016 15:45, UK
Deontay Wilder tackles the challenge of Chris Arreola on July 16 live on Sky Sports, so it's time for a progress check on America's heavyweight king.
The towering Alabamian (36-0-KO35) will be making the fourth defence of the WBC world heavyweight title he won in January 2015 by outpointing Bermane Stiverne - that remains the only time he's been taken the distance.
So with Tyson Fury holding the WBA Super and WBO crowns and Anthony Joshua in possession of the IBF belt, what chance does Wilder stand of carrying out his promise to unify the division? Of the three, only Fury - out of disgust at the IBF's decision to strip him - is disinterested in holding all four straps.
In terms of the opposition faced, Fury's victory over Wladimir Klitschko stands out a mile as the single most notable bout on the trio's records. Wilder's achievement in deposing Stiverne and, to an even greater degree, Joshua's in relieving Charles Martin of his jewellery, pale in comparison to what Fury managed in Dusseldorf.
Joshua wasn't at his dismissive best in dispatching his maiden challenger, Dominic Breazeale, either; the Londoner needed almost seven rounds to send his brave but outpaced visitor to the canvas. Prior to that, his sworn local enemy Dillian Whyte was clearly the most daunting mountain he's scaled.
Bearing that in mind alongside victories over Dereck Chisora and former cruiserweight Steve Cunningham being Fury's career highs before Klitschko, Wilder can legitimately lay claim to having the best CV. That's not to say that he pulled up any particularly deep-rooted trees early in his career, it's more to do with his bouts as a champion.
Since first strapping on the famous green belt at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the quality of Wilder's foes has improved very steadily. That he was uninspiring against any of them may well stand him in good stead in the same way that Joshua was forced to turn in the most mature, patient performance of his career in grinding down the spirited Breazeale.
Perhaps most worrying for Wilder fans was the way he struggled to cope with the awkwardness of his most recent challenger, Artur Szpilka. All three scorecards put the champion ahead at the time of the brutal stoppage but that failed to tell the story of the previous eight rounds.
Despite giving away around four inches in height and probably around the same in reach, the Polish southpaw posed Wilder all sorts of problems. Frustration around Brooklyn's Barclays Center was growing because the fans had come to see a knockout. Eventually, they were granted their wish and it was a timely reminder of just why Wilder has a world title around his waist.
A crushing right hand knocked Szpilka out cold, bringing an audible gasp from the crowd and tears from the challenger's loved ones. It was the work of a split second, but in that split second Deontay Wilder served notice that he possesses the power to change careers. The technical puzzle Szpilka had posed him was solved suddenly and violently.
Against Arreola, Wilder will want to look better. 'The Nightmare' will head for Wilder's home turf of Birmingham, Alabama hell-bent on silencing the city but in reality, he's expected to be stopped. Just over two years ago, Stiverne dispatched the Californian before the halfway mark and Wilder will be aiming for similar or better.
At this stage, nobody can be sure who is going to emerge as the king of this exciting new era of heavyweights, but the multiple unification bouts likely to take place in 2017 will decide that for us.
Until then, Fury, Joshua and Wilder will be doing all they can to appear to be leading the charge, knowing that a perceived superiority in Box Office 'draw' will be a handy weapon in the inevitably fierce negotiations in store.
Whether a UK television audience will provide him with extra impetus or uncomfortable pressure, Wilder will walk towards Arreola at the opening bell looking to trump Joshua's first defence.
