The bulkiest heavyweight to ever face Deontay Wilder features prominently on the list of heaviest boxing matches ever.
Wilder once fought the 400-pound behemoth Dustin Nichols on his way to the sport’s summit, gaining a first-round stoppage. However, the fight has historical value as his most-weighted fight, but also because many believe Nichols dropped Wilder.
Consequently, the former heavyweight champion is the most significant name to have fought anyone on the top five list of the weightiest bouts ever. One of Wilder’s early knockouts from a 2010 clash puts him in the mix for battling the behemoth.
Deontay Wilder vs Dustin Nichols
Wilder hit the canvas early in the fight at Club Palace in Hattiesburg but battled his way back after the referee called it a slip. The footage only stirred the pot further. Wilder flew back onto the ropes, although referee Keith Hughes had no hesitation in calling it a slip. The film of the incident is below, meaning it’s a judge-for-yourself situation.
Did 400lb heavyweight Dustin Nichols drop Deontay Wilder in 2010?
Was it a stumble, a slip, or a genuine knockdown?#BigWorm pic.twitter.com/LCJHuoHFSA
— World Boxing News (@WorldBoxingNews) July 12, 2024
Piling on the pressure against a largely immobile Nichols, “The Bronze Bomber” ended the contest after completing the first round. And due to the sheer size of his opponent, Wilder, weighing a mere 215 pounds, didn’t come into the equation when totaling the most enormous bouts ever. Eventually, after three minutes with Wilder, Nichols decided to stay on his stool.
But sadly for Wilder, this is further evidence, especially for Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Zhilei Zhang supporters, that he is considerably weak around the whiskers.
Nichols’s place in history is secured. The Wilder fight doesn’t make the top five, but it’s undoubtedly the ex-WBC champion’s heaviest. After crunching the broader numbers, WBN has researched that Nichols holds four of the top five spots on the sport’s weightiest bouts list. That’s despite some other totals being published with significant inaccuracies.
Below, WBN names the top five heaviest fights ever. Nichols, known as “The Big Worm,” is a considerable influence.
However, the Mississippi man doesn’t take the top spot.
Top Five Heaviest Boxing Matches Ever
1 Wade Bruins vs Alfredo Cervantes – 787 pounds [2019]
2 Dustin Nichols vs Antonio Johnson – 780lb [2019]
3 Nichols vs Dewayne McQueen – 739 pounds [2023]
4 Nichols vs David Fuller – 733 pounds [2009]
5 Dustin Nichols vs Andre Brewer – 710 pounds [2019]
Note: The list does not feature non-professional contests.
Wade Bruins is the heaviest boxer of all time. In his only professional boxing match in 20019, he scaled 550 pounds. Facing Alfredo Cervantes at Rhythm City Casino in Davenport, Bruins lost over four rounds and never fought again.
The six-foot-six-inch man mountain was around when Nichols competed. Therefore, they could have staged a clash that pushed half a ton and would have been impossible to beat.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
