BY GABRIEL PRINCEWILL
Newly crowned WBC American heavyweight Champion, Deontay Wilder, 33-0 (32) will make the first defence of his championship belt on June 13 in Birmingham , Alabama against Eric Molina 23-2 (17). Wilder won the WBC title when he beat Canadian Birnade Stivens on points in January in his first fight to go beyond 4 rounds. The American knockout artist who has shown explosive power in the manner he has disposed of 32 of his 33 opponents has has been cautiously dubbed the ‘saviour’ of the lacklustre division because many of his opponents have been of questionable material.
However, Wilder’s huge frame of 6 ft 7 1/2 inches full of muscles with explosive power, makes him one of interest especially as he now holds the only important world title belt that Wladimir Klitschko does not have. Wilder has already expressed an interest to engage Klitschko in a unification title fight, and has long challenged Britain’s Tyson Fury, who is on course for a fight against Klitschko next, with Britain earmarked as the likely venue for the clash.
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Eric Molina has lost just 2 out of 25 fights, scoring 3 consecutive knockouts from his his last five fights. It will be an interesting first defence for Deontey Wilder, and will likely return the buzz of heavyweight boxing to an enthusiastic American audience. Molina took to skype to warn the champion that he is coming to seize the champion’s belt.
“I feel that he picked the wrong heavyweight,” Molina said . “What I’m coming in to Alabama with on June 13 is going to be way more than he could ever expect. What I’m coming with to Alabama, you cannot see in any video. You see a contender in me who has been counted out and who has come back somehow. You see a contender in me that has been down.
“He’s never been down before but he’ll know how it feels to go down.”
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This fight will likely be more interesting than most of Klitschko’s defences and serve as a build up for a rich fight between Wilder and the winner of Fury v Klitschko, poised to happen later this year. Wilder has a strong fan base in the UK too.
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