One of the more interesting stories in the Heavyweight
division as well as the entire sport of Boxing in recent years has been the
rise of Deontay Wilder. Wilder, the 2008 Olympic Heavyweight Bronze Medalist
quickly earned a reputation as one of the sport’s feared knockout artists upon
turning pro in November 2008.
Much like current unified Light-Heavyweight world champion
Sergey Kovalev and current unified Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin
who both were able to garner significant attention by compiling knockout
streaks, Wilder began his career with thirty-two knockouts consecutive
knockouts. Wilder’s reputation as a knockout artist eventually earned him a
world title shot against WBC Heavyweight world champion Bermane Stiverne.
When Wilder met Stiverne on January 17th of this year however,
he proved that he is more than a mere power puncher as he out boxed the
champion over the course of twelve rounds to earn a lopsided unanimous decision,
the first decision victory of his career. The win for Wilder not only earned
him a world championship, but also established him as the first American World
Heavyweight champion in the sport in nearly eight years. Although some have
been critical of Wilder throughout his career due to questions about his level
of opposition prior to his fight with Stiverne, it was an impressive
performance that did answer questions about his ability to respond to being
taken into the late rounds of a fight and he also showed a solid chin when
tested by Stiverne’s power.
Now as one of only two world champions in the Heavyweight
division Wilder prepares to make the first defense of his world title against
current WBC number nine rated contender Eric Molina on Saturday night at the
Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. For the undefeated new world champion and
Tuscaloosa, Alabama native Wilder, a victory in this fight could lead to a
unification bout against current unified IBF/WBO/WBA/IBO world champion
Wladimir Klitschko in the near future to determine an Undisputed Heavyweight
world champion.
In Eric Molina, Wilder will face a veteran of twenty-five
professional fights who will enter this fight having won his last five fights.
The most notable victory for Molina in his last five fights came when he scored
a fifth round knockout against former world title challenger DaVarryl Williamson
in May 2014. In his last fight, Molina scored an eighth round knockout over Brazilian
contender Raphael Zumbano on the undercard of Wilder’s fight against Bermane
Stiverne.
In that fight Molina was able to have significant success
landing his right hand and mixing in uppercuts on Zumbano in a bout that Molina
dominated throughout. Molina did show his Boxing ability in that fight as well,
but allowed Zumbano to walk straight in and put him in position of having to
fight off the ropes. It will be interesting to see what Molina’s strategy will
be against a fighter in Wilder who is quicker, has a three inch height advantage,
a four inch reach advantage over him, and has significantly more power than
Zumbano.
Although Molina has scored three knockouts in his last five
fights and has scored seventeen knockouts in twenty-three career victories,
what should not be overlooked is Molina’s two losses both came as a result of
first round knockouts against Ashanti Jordan in his first pro fight in March
2007 and against former world title challenger Chris Arreola in February 2012. The
key to this fight in my eyes will be whether Molina can negate Wilder’s power.
Even though Wilder went the distance in his last fight, he
is still a fighter with a career knockout percentage of nearly 97% who has also
scored eighteen knockouts in the first round. It is logical to assume that
Wilder will look to jump on Molina early should the opportunity present itself.
In what will be the first title defense of a World
Heavyweight championship by an American fighter in eight years and eleven days
since Shannon Briggs lost his WBO Heavyweight world championship to Sultan
Ibragimov on June 2, 2007, one may wonder if this fight will in some ways be
the beginning of a new era for the Heavyweight division. This observer is not
sure whether this fight will signal the start of a new era.
If Deontay Wilder however, manages to impress his fans and
critics alike by making a statement in his first title defense, it just may put
him on a collision course with the most dominant Heavyweight of this era. A
fighter named Wladimir Klitschko.
“And That’s the Boxing Truth.”
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison
All Rights Reserved.
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