Deontay Wilder Emerges As A Top Contender

When the topic of current prospects turned contenders in the Heavyweight division is discussed and or, debated it is hard not to argue that fighters such as Tyson Fury, David Price, and Bryant Jennings have been at or near the top of the list. While Fury, Price, and Jennings have seen much attention shined on them; there is another hot rising prospect that has gradually been carving his own path through the Heavyweight division. The prospect’s name?  Deontay Wilder…

Wilder, the 2008 Olympic Bronze medalist has been quietly building one of the more impressive records you are likely to ever see out of a prospect turned contender.  Undefeated in his professional career Wilder compiled twenty-eight wins from when he turned pro in November of 2008 to April of this year.  What makes Wilder’s record intimidating for any would be opponent is not one of those twenty-eight opponents have been able to go the distance with the 6’7 American Heavyweight. Perhaps more intimidating than Wilder’s consecutive knockout streak is only one fighter, journeyman Heavyweight Marlon Hayes was able to extend Wilder beyond three rounds before being stopped in the fourth round of their fight in February of last year. 

When an undefeated Heavyweight prospect begins his career with a streak of knockouts it is hard not to remember another Heavyweight who began his career with his own consecutive knockout streak, Mike Tyson who scored eighteen consecutive knockouts to begin his career. Tyson’s streak of knockouts created somewhat of a debate as to how quickly Tyson was moved along up the ranks by his handlers.  Over the years when discussing this topic this observer has stated that despite debate and criticism of how Tyson was moved along that it is my opinion that the strategy of Tyson’s managers Jim Jacobs and Bill Cayton in managing Tyson was brilliant. 

Much like Tyson had to deal with questions regarding his stamina and what happens when a fight goes into the middle and late rounds, so too does Deontay Wilder. Unlike Tyson however one could argue that Wilder’s progression has been slower.  Tyson after all climbed to the top of the Heavyweight division and won his first world title in just a year and a half after turning professional. One could say that Tyson’s rise up the Heavyweight division although quick and devastating was not necessarily the norm.

As we have recently seen with the setbacks of David Price who suffered back to back losses to top contender Tony Thompson in his last two fights it was too much and too soon. Price had only fought thirteen fights as a professional prior to his two fights with Tony Thompson.  Although it can be a delicate task in determining when a fighter should move along and step up in the quality of opposition for a fighter’s management and promoter, this observer believes that in light of what has happened with David Price that it was probably a smart move by those who handle Deontay Wilder to progress him at a slower but steady rate.

After seeing Wilder’s knockout win over former world title challenger Audley Harrison, I began to wonder who Wilder would be put in against for his next fight and, whether or not that fighter would be able to extend Wilder deep into a fight.  The opponent  that Wilder would face would be former WBO Heavyweight world champion Sergei Liakhovich.  

This to me was an interesting choice of opponent for Wilder. Despite Liahovich coming into this fight having lost his last two fights, suffering knockout losses to contenders Robert Helenius and Bryant Jennings, Liakhovich was after all a former world champion. Although Liakhovich frankly suffered two brutal beatings at the hands of Helenius and Jennings, he was not a fighter to take lightly.

It was also an arguable point that Liakhovich was a fighter who was in decline. Liakhovich however had been able to take fights into the middle and late rounds.  Going into the fight I wondered whether or not Liakhovich would be able to withstand Wilder’s punching power and whether or not he could take this fight beyond the early rounds. 

When the two fighters entered the ring on August 9^th in Indio, California the fight came to a sudden and frankly scary end midway through the first round.  Wilder floored Liakhovich with a right hand that knocking the former world champion down on the canvas. Referee Tom Taylor immediately stopped the fight as Liakhovich was convulsing.  Wilder had scored his twenty-ninth consecutive knockout at 1:43 of the first round. 

For Deontay Wilder the questions continues to be who can withstand his punching power and who may be able to extend Wilder into the middle and late rounds of a fight?  No one knows who might be able to answer that question however in terms of the immediate future perhaps Wilder could be a future opponent for Heavyweight contender and former world title challenger Dereck Chisora.

Chisora, who recently scored a somewhat controversial knockout over previously undefeated contender Malik Scott could view a potential fight with Wilder as a way to springboard back into the Heavyweight championship picture.  Malik Scott who filed a protest with the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) following his loss to Chisora in an effort to have his knockout loss changed to a no contest should also be viewed as a possibility for Wilder.

Last week the BBBofC denied Scott’s protest. It remains to be seen if this will lead to a rematch between Chisora and Scott. One should not however overlook the possibility of a fighter like Deontay Wilder being figured into the plans for either fighter. 

Although Wilder’s knockout of Sergei Liakhovich is likely to be talked about for some time, Referee Tom Taylor should be applauded for stopping the fight immediately and not counting.  It was a scary knockout and although Liakhovich was able to sit on his stool shortly after the fight was stopped, it should not be overlooked that the appropriate call was made immediately and that the fighter’s safety was the top priority as it should be. 

For Sergei Liakhovich this would appear to be a career ending knockout.  As the safety standards in the sport of Boxing have greatly improved over the years, it would be logical to see perhaps the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) and or, the Association of Boxing Commissions issue a medical suspension after a fighter has suffered a knockout like this. 

What should not be overlooked is Liakhovich has now been knocked out in his last three fights and due to the beatings he has taken not just in those three fights but throughout his career, the long-term well-being of a fighter should now be taken into consideration.  Sergei Liakhovich has been a fighter who has always been very “Game” and has always given everything he has when he enters the ring. It is however the responsibility of those who regulate the sport worldwide to ensure the safety of fighters. Although Sergei Liakhovich’s heart cannot be questioned, you never want to see a fighter take one punch too many.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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BKB: A Modern Twist on Bare-Knuckle Boxing

Since the inception of the Marquess of Queensberry Rules in the 1800’s the concept of Bare-Knuckle Boxing, although rightfully regarded as the original form of the sport of Boxing, has long been in the past. As time has gone on although Boxing much like all combat sports remains dangerous, the innovation of gloved prizefighting has become the standard for the sport. 

As a Boxing historian this observer frankly did not expect to see anything resembling a return to Bare-Knuckle Boxing in my lifetime.  In the past when asked my thoughts on a potential return of Bare-Knuckle Boxing I have always stated that I did not see it happening primarily due to safety concerns, regulations, and the dangers that already exist in the sport of Boxing as it is.  I have however said despite the dangers of the sport, the safety standards in Boxing have greatly improved over the years.

Sometimes when many feel a bout was stopped prematurely feeling that a hurt fighter should have been given the benefit of the doubt, an explanation that you will often hear a referee or athletic commission state was the safety of the fighter became the primary concern.  An argument could and perhaps should be made based on this, that Boxing in today’s day and age is considerably safer for those who compete in the sport and that can be attributed to those who regulate the sport who continue to make strides to ensure the safety of fighters.   

One such example is when the legendary Evander Holyfield was medically suspended indefinitely by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) following his one-sided decision loss to veteran contender Larry Donald in 2004. The commission cited their reasoning behind the suspension as being due to Holyfield’s diminishing skills.  In covering the fight card in which Holyfield-Donald took place and the subsequent aftermath in the days following the card, this observer applauded the decision of the NYSAC.  Although Holyfield would eventually be cleared to resume his career the NYSAC should be commended for the action they had taken and continue to take to ensure the safety and welfare of boxers. 

Based on the ever present concern for safety in the sport of Boxing, this observer was surprised to hear of a concept known as BKB: Bare-Knuckle Boxing. The inaugural BKB card which premiered on July 27^th was available via pay-per-view exclusively to subscribers of Satellite television provider DirecTV. The card which took place in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire featured ten bouts ranging from the Lightweight division to the Heavyweight division.  In all truth and honesty although I had obvious concerns about the fighters safety, I was curious to see this concept.

 What made this unique were the rules in which fights in BKB are fought.  Unlike a traditional Boxing ring, BKB bouts are fought in a circular pit with no ropes. Round limits on this card were two minutes in duration with a one minute rest period between rounds.  Bouts were scheduled for distances of five, seven, and ten rounds respectively.  Judges scores are done on the traditional ten-point must system and are announced after each round to the fighters and the audience in attendance.  If a fighter steps out of the circular pit accidentally it is considered a slip. A fighter who is knocked down however will be given a traditional ten count to get to their feet. 

Boxing gloves were also used in this concept. The gloves however are smaller than a traditional Boxing glove with one exception, the knuckle area is exposed although the hole is deep enough seemingly to prevent actual contact with the knuckles.  The gloves also range between five and seven ounces depending on the weight class in which a bout is being contested.  Although some stated prior to this card that “It isn’t Bare-Knuckle Boxing if gloves are used.” This observer thought it was a unique concept and a necessary component with regard to fighters’ safety. 

Unlike a traditional Boxing ring, the BKB circular pit measures seventeen feet in diameter and 227 square feet which makes it just over half the size of a traditional 20X20 Boxing ring.  From a fan’s perspective the BKB pit offers unrestricted viewing angles due to it’s lowered floors and colored lift gates signifying each fighter’s respective corner that lift and lock at the beginning of each round.   Prior to this card I really didn’t know what to expect but much like the anticipation prior to a mega fight in either the sport of Boxing or the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) it was certainly intriguing to see what this concept would look like in practice.

One thing that was obvious as the fights got underway was that this type of format does not necessarily favor a boxer who likes to utilize lateral movement.  This is due the narrow space in the pit area.  This format however appeared to be tailor made for a boxer who likes to fight on the inside.  This observer’s initial impression was that this format although a little different than a traditional Boxing format was indeed unique and was often entertaining to watch.  The two minute rounds in particular seemed to ensure a quick pace where fighters were looking to let their hands go from the outset of a round.  Although some Boxing purists may have varying opinions, BKB seemed to deliver on what it promised which was to provide entertaining and action packed bouts. 

The inaugural BKB event was not however without some elements of controversy.  In the first bout of the card, a Cruiserweight fight between Chris Traietti and Larry Hopkins, Hopkins was floored just seconds into the second round by what all accounts appeared to be an accidental head butt.  Although Referee Dave Greenwood immediately signaled “No Knockdown!” he counted Hopkins out after Hopkins failed to respond to his command to get up. 

It goes without saying that whenever there is a new concept or a would be new sport put into practice, that there is likely to be some confusion early on.  In regard to this situation I am surprised that this fight was not ruled a no contest due to an accidental foul.  Although a little confusing one would assume that we are likely to get some clarification on such a rule in the future on subsequent BKB cards.  For now it appears that Larry Hopkins was the unfortunate recipient of a tough break however given that it was the first card under the concept and format of BKB, circumstances like this are bound to happen. 

What should be applauded however despite the confusion surrounding the ending of the Traietti-Hopkins bout are the performances of  the referees who officiated on this card.  The damage caused by the bare-knuckled exposed gloves was immediately noticeable.  The referees however in this observer’s eyes did an excellent job of making sure that fights were stopped when appropriate and that the fighters who competed on this card did not suffer any unnecessary punishment. 

Individually each of the ten bouts proved to be exciting however the bout that stood out in my mind on that evening beyond the Traietti-Hopkins bout was the Light-Heavyweight bout between Jason Naugler and Teneal Goyco.  Although all the bouts on this card provided plenty of action the Naugler-Goyco bout in the opinion of this observer was the fight of the night.   From the opening bell these two fighters engaged in a slugfest with each fighter having their say in the opening round.

Goyco opened a cut on the forehead of Naugler with a left hand in the second round. The cut would worsen as the fight progressed however Naugler remained undeterred and kept coming forward.  By the end of round three Goyco seemed to be getting the better of the exchanges however Naugler took the punches well and even taunted his opponent before having his mouthpiece knocked out by a Goyco jab in the closing seconds of the round. 

By the end of round three Naugler’s cut had worsened to the point where frankly I wondered whether the fight would be stopped between rounds.  It was a nasty gash and although Naugler’s heart and frankly the heart and determination of all the fighters who competed on this card could not be questioned, this was one of the things that I was concerned about with regard to a fighter’s safety prior to this card.  A vicious Goyco left hook that landed flush on the jaw of Naugler would bring an end to the fight in round four as the fight was immediately stopped by Referee Mike Ryan.

Overall I came away from this card with a feeling of optimism. After all I was not sure what to expect out of this card but was pleasantly entertained by the heart and pure guts of all the fighters who participated. I was equally impressed by the New Hampshire Boxing and Wrestling commission in how they were able to ensure the safety of the fighters.  My overall impression is that BKB may be in a position that is not all that unlike the position that the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) was in when it surfaced in the United States in the early 1990’s.

This observer remembers how MMA was looked upon during that period of time.  One should remember that during MMA’s inception in the United States that it was essentially no holds barred fighting where the only rules were No biting, No eye gouging, and, No strikes in any form to the groin. 

The original format of MMA here in the United States raised the ire of many politicians, most notably Arizona Senator John McCain who labeled the sport as “Human Cockfighting” and was a driving force in lobbying to see that the sport was banned by many states. As a result of McCain’s efforts many states did indeed ban the sport of MMA and many cable companies refused to carry pay-per-view MMA events for a period of time.

In time the sport of MMA evolved into it’s current format of rules and regulations including the use of gloves and various weight classes.  In time many states have lifted their ban on MMA and in the last decade the sport has grown at a tremendous rate not just here in the United States but around the world.  Although rules and regulations can vary depending on a particular MMA promotion, the sport overall has proven to be quite successful.  Even though MMA still has some hurdles to clear in some states, the day of universal licensing and regulation for MMA events in the United States seems to be near.

For the newest twist on the original form of Boxing in what appears to be the latest addition to Combat Sports BKB, there may not be as great a struggle for acceptance and regulation as has stood in the way of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.  As long as safety precautions continue to be taken and fighters are cleared to compete in the same manner in which Boxers and MMA fighters have been for many years, this observer believes the concept of BKB Championship Boxing could be around for some time. 

Will the concept of BKB evolve in the future? Only time will tell… 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

Chisora-Scott:How long until the Rematch?

The second step in the comeback of  Heavyweight contender Dereck Chisora came on July 20^th when the former world title challenger entered the ring to face undefeated American Heavyweight contender Malik Scott in London, England.  Chisora who scored a ninth round stoppage of Hector Avila in April of this year was fighting for only the second time since suffering a fifth round knockout loss at the hands of two-division world champion David Haye in July of last year.

Although some may have questioned why Chisora who had lost three of his last four bouts would take on a crafty boxer such as Scott, it is worth noting that despite suffering four losses in his career Chisora was competitive in all of those fights and had only been stopped once. An argument of some could be that despite an undefeated record of 35-0-1, with 12 Knockouts coming into the fight with Chisora that questions of how good Malik Scott was may have been warranted. 

In his last bout prior to facing Chisora in February of this year, Scott was the victim of what some feel, this observer included was a bad decision in his draw with undefeated Ukrainian contender Vyacheslav Glazkov. In my view Scott out boxed Glazkov over the course of ten rounds, winning seven out of ten rounds on my unofficial scorecard. 

There were two questions that I had in my mind leading up to this fight.  Could Malik Scott use his lateral movement and quick hands to evade Chisora’s aggressive pressure style and box his way to victory or, would Chisora be able to effectively cut off the ring and nullify Scott’s movement before Scott could potentially build a lead on the scorecards? 

When the fight got underway it wasn’t surprising to see Scott establishing his jab as a focal point of his offense.  What was a bit surprising however was how effective Chisora was able to use his pressure style to get on the inside of Scott early in the fight.  In all honesty although I do not like to give solid predictions leading up to a fight, the way that I envisioned that Chisora could win this fight would be to gradually wear Scott down and possibly look for a late round stoppage. 

It was clear that Chisora’s pressure was bothersome for Scott. Chisora’s head movement in particular made it difficult for Scott to attempt to control the distance of the fight. Although Scott was able to get his punches off quickly, I wondered how the judges scoring would end up if the fight went to the scorecards. Round by round the fight was close as both Chisora and Scott were able to have their moments but as I have often said over the years in fights where there are many close rounds that could go either way, it will often boil down to what a judge prefers in their criteria of how they score.  It was clear that Scott threw more in volume. It was Chisora however who was the effective aggressor and who landed the harder punches when he did let his hands go. 

Despite the subject of scoring at the end of this fight being insignificant it was worth questioning as the rounds went on how the judges were scoring if the fight were to get that far.  Scott seemed to get the better of the action in rounds two, three, and five by being the more active of the two but he didn’t seem to be able to control the tempo of the fight as the rounds progressed.  Although I had Scott slightly ahead after five rounds by a margin of three rounds to two, I wondered whether Scott would be able to conserve his stamina. Chisora was not only the aggressor in this fight but he was the fighter who was dictating the pace and made his opponent fight at a pace where it was more to Chisora’s advantage. Simply put Chisora made Scott work. 

One thing that was also noticeable was that Scott was backing straight up into the ropes throughout the fight and was not able to execute movement from side to side consistently. This could likely be attributed to Chisora’s head movement and pressure as he came forward. Scott however was effective in spots where he was able to land and slip out of Chisora’s punching range. 

As the fight entered round six there was a sense that the fight was starting to heat up. At this stage in the fight Chisora appeared to be landing more punches particularly on the inside to the body and the head. To his credit, Scott was effective in tying Chisora up on the inside throughout and this seemed to give him the slight edge in the fight up to round six in what was a very competitive fight.   The fight would be brought to a sudden conclusion in the final seconds of round six when Chisora landed and overhand right that knocked Scott to the canvas.  Scott did not appear to be badly hurt however the fight was stopped as Referee Phil Edwards stopped the fight although Scott had clearly gotten up at the count of nine.

An appropriate quote that this observer has been known for saying frequently over the years when controversy emerges in the sport of Boxing “Like Peanut Butter and Jelly, Boxing and Controversy just go together…”  seems to fall in line with the controversial way in which this fight ended.  Although it may appear to some that this fight had ended under strange circumstances, it is not the first time that this observer has seen a bout ended in this manner. 

One such bout that immediately came to mind as I watched this fight conclude  was a Lightweight bout that took place on July 31.1991 between then undefeated rising prospect Rafael Ruelas and Mauro Gutierrez a journeyman who had fought sixty-four professional fights prior to taking on the 27-0 Ruelas.  The fight was ended when Gutierrez dropped Ruelas with a flush left hook to the jaw midway through the second round. Ruelas, on one knee took the count administered by Referee Chuck Hassett and arose from the knockdown at the count of ten as Hassett shouted “You’re out!” waving his arms signaling the end of the bout.  It was clear that although hit with a solid left hook that Ruelas did not appear badly hurt. Ruelas subsequently protested the stoppage. Ruelas misjudged the count by one second before getting up from the knockdown.

Almost twenty-two years to the day since the somewhat controversial end to that fight, the Dereck Chisora-Malik Scott fight ends under similar circumstances.  Unlike that fight twenty-two years ago however, replays of the count administered to Malik Scott by Referee Phil Edwards clearly showed that Scott had gotten up from the knockdown at the count of nine just as Edwards waved his arms signaling the end of the bout. 

Although it is clear that a full count of ten at least visually did not reach it’s full conclusion, perhaps Edwards thought that Scott would not arise from the knockdown when the count reached nine and simply made a judgment/discretionary call to stop the fight.  The anger of Scott’s corner following the stoppage is certainly understandable. It is equally understandable and somewhat expected under such circumstances to see Scott’s camp file a protest with the regulatory body which oversaw the bout, in this case the British Boxing Board of Control. (BBBofC)

It was no surprise to this observer in the days following the fight to see Scott’s camp file a protest with the BBBofC. In all honesty if I were involved with a fighter who had lost a fight under these particular circumstances, my reaction would probably be similar to the reaction of Scott’s camp.  After all, their fighter did indeed get up from the knockdown before the count was concluded and did appear to have all of his faculties.

What are the results likely to be of the protest?  From a speculative point of view such things that might come up in any potential hearing concerning this fight will probably revolve around the count of Referee Phil Edwards.  In the aftermath of this fight some have stated to this observer that they did not understand why Scott did not get up from the knockdown earlier in the count.

Only Malik Scott can answer that question however elements of crowd noise and trying to make sure the he (Scott) was okay before getting up from the knockdown could have played a factor.  This is one reason why referees in addition to verbally administering a count will also visually indicate a count with their fingers while verbally counting.  Did Malik Scott simply misjudge the count? Perhaps but even so he clearly was able to beat the count.  Although at minimum a video review of the closing moments of this fight by the BBBofC could take place, it is unlikely in the eyes of this observer under these circumstances that the official result of a sixth round knockout win for Dereck Chisora would be changed to a no contest/no decision. 

At the end of the day it is simply a judgment/discretionary call by the referee in question.  Unless something illegal had taken place such as an illegal punch that a referee did not see which may be cited as having caused a knockdown or something along the lines of a failed post-fight drug test, it is unlikely that a commission would overrule a referee for simply stopping a fight.  It simply boils down to a referee’s discretion whether a count was fully administered or not. 

If history has provided any basis for circumstances such as this, the best possible solution for all concerned would be for a rematch to be ordered by either the BBBofC or the World Boxing Organization (WBO) who sanctioned the bout for it’s International title in it’s Heavyweight ratings.  The bout was after all very competitive and was considered by almost all observers, this one included as a close contest at the time of the stoppage. So why not put a fair and just end to what some see as a controversy by mandating a rematch? 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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