The former WBC heavyweight champion was on course to throw down with his long-time rival next year after inking a lucrative two-fight earlier this month.
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But he had the small matter of dealing with fellow former champ Joseph Parker before being able to think about finally getting his hands on AJ.
And the former WBO champ Parker threw a huge spanner into the works of Saudi boxing chief’s plans for back-to-back Riyad Rumbles with a shock points win on the Day of Reckoning card.
Wilder was light on his feet early doors and looked to feint his way into range.
Parker was all too happy to take the centre of the ring and allow the former WBC king to operate on the outside.
And the first stanza proved to be a non-affair as neither man threw anything of note.
Parker looked to try and close the distance early in the second and went close with an overhand right shortly after the restart.
Wilder found a home for a right hook as Parker stumbled into a clinch with a minute of the stanza remaining, which proved to be his best shot of the round.
Parker did a good job of smothering a powerful right hand early in the third, which prompted Wilder to finally throw out some jabs.
The American managed to catch the top of Parker’s head as the former WBO champ once again stumbled into range.
He landed a god uppercut in tight with 30 seconds left on the clock before taking a glancing right seconds before the end of the round.
Both men traded hard right hands early in the fourth but both of their chins held up.
And Parker found another home for his right hand with 20 seconds of the round remaining,
Parker was aggressive again in the fifth and began to put the American on the back foot.
A big and telegraphed right hand from Wilder proved to be the punch of the sixth, but Parker took it well.
Both men landed hard right hands in the final minute of the seventh, which ended with the American landed another right hand in the clinch before the bell.
Wilder snapped back the head of Parker with a big right hand and a follow-up uppercut midway through the eighth but bizarrely failed to follow-up.
He went into retreat mode after getting hurt by a right hand and had to survive a hellacious onslaught from Parker, who went guns blazing to try and get the finish.
Despite being down on the scorecards, Wilder, bizarrely, didn’t put his foot on the gas in the ninth.
And he allowed himself to be bullied by a buoyant Parker.
The bullying and lack of urgency continued in the tenth and eleventh rounds, which was truly baffling considering the huge AJ payday on the cards.
It finally appeared in the final round, with the American finally putting his foot on the gas and going forward.
But Parker utilised great clinch work to stifle the Alabama slammer to take the fight to the judges’ scorecards.
And they were all in agreeance with the result, scoring the contest 118-111, 118-110, 120-108.
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