BY TIM PARSONS
American WBC heavyweight champion will have to shine tonight in Alabama a she faces 6ft 4 inches Eric Molina for his first defence. There was heated confrontation when the pair squared up for their weigh in yesterday, but when they meet in the ring their will definitely be fireworks. Wilder who is unbeaten in 33 fights with 32 straight knock out wins is the new face of the long time dead heavyweight division. Ever since the Lennox Lewis hung up his gloves in 2004 after a tough showdown with Vitali Klitschko who was winning that fight, but lost on points, the division has lost its flavour.
Vitali Klitschko and his brother went on to dominate the division, conquering all opponents they reserved with. Both brothers were not as inspiring as any of their predecessors in victory, but possessed enough power and technical ability to subdue all opponents that dared to take the challenge of contesting for their titles. Vitali was labelled the more robotic fighter, but had an iron fist and a sturdy chin so impenetrable that he never even tasted the canvas in over 15 years as a professional. He eventually retired to politics, allowing his more mobile younger brother, Wladimir to continue the family legacy of defeating all comers. He has done that successfully for 9 years, but the belt his brother Vitali vacated, was then contested for and won by this 6ft 7 inch built American, called Deontey Wilder. He is powerful, athletic, and talkative. He won a bronze medal for the U.S Olympic team and was subsequently fed a collection of nobodies for his first twenty something fights to obliterate in explosive fashion, making him look as fearsome as Mike Tyson did in his hey days.
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Wilder was even fed Britain’s Audley Harrison, and Harrison out of there in 70 seconds- the quickest time anyone has blown out the 2000 Olympic champion, who had ability but never got to achieve his potential because of a gripping inertia that often hampered the display of the skills he honed well to win Olympic gold in Sydney. After that victory Wilder inflicted the first defeat on the unbeaten record of Sam Scott, blowing him out in one round for the first time in 37 fights. Wilder’s perfect knock out run came to an end when he defeated tough Canadian, Bernade Stiverne, for the vacant WBC title 6 months ago but in the process he answered questions concerning his durability to go into the longer rounds. He masterfully dominated Stiverne who had previously knocked out big American puncher, Chris Arreola, and lifted the WBC title, making Americans proud. Americans are now hoping their saviour has arrived. A man who can talk and fight. Wilder’s initial aspiration was to play American football for Alabama, but the birth of his daughter, Naeya who suffers from a Spinal condition called Spina bifilda- a spine defect of the spinal column changed all that. He decided it was important to provide for his family and decided to take on boxing. He started with amateur boxing where he won the national golden gloves and eventually qualified to represent the USA in the 2008 Olmpics where he won a bronze medal. Shortly after he pursued professional boxing. Now a rich man, he is able to properly look after his daughter and provide her with the best he possibly can.
Wilder has even declared readiness to meet Wladimir Klitschko who is currently in talks with the team of Britain’s Tyson Fury for his next defence slated to take place in Britain. Wilder cannot afford to slip up tonight, but must do the business in the explosive manner he promises.
“I bring excitement. I bring power and I bring thunder baby. I call it Alabama power,” said the confident flamboyant champion.
“I don’t do perditious but I’m telling people the third round will be excitement. That’ll be the round you don’t wanna go nowhere. I’ve definitely got to knock him out.
“I’ve shown people what I can do and I can do it all, but I’m definitely known for my knock-out. I don’t have the highest knock-out rate for nothing, and I’ve got to get back to it. I love making history.” Wilder has already made history by being the first American to win a version of the heavyweight title since 2007 when Shannon Briggs briefly occupied that position, but a different challenge now faces Wilder. He needs to continue to successfully defend that belt if he is to usher restoration to a division in desperate need of an exciting dominant force. Klitschko has been dominant throughout his reign, but has been unfortunate not to be credited fully for it. The lack of credible opposition that can be likened to those in abundance in the era of Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Mohammed Ali, have detracted from the glory that would normally attend to Klitschko’s admirable conquest.
But with Klitschko still on the scene as champion, he is a credible future opponent for Wider to prove himself. Klitschko might be aging at nearly 40, but this does not make him any less credible a future opponent if he continues to be victorious. Unbeaten Tyson Fury will also grow into a more mature fighter after his encounter with Klitschko, win or loose. Therefore, the successful completion of his first assignment in defending his title may the first step to the beginning of a new era in heavyweight boxing. Texan Eric Molina is no push over and comes with aspirations of his own. He has lost just twice in 25 fights and has 17 knockouts to his resume. He has won 5 fights on a stretch since 2012(3 of them being heavy knockouts) when Chris Arreola knocked him out in an explosive one round. Worthy of note is the fact that Wilder never fought Chris Arreola in his journey to heavyweight championship, though beat the man who beat Chris Arreola. Boxing is not always as precise as mathematics though, and Arreola’s fight with Stiverne was explosive enough to have gone either way before the 6th round knock out came.
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Molina intends to test Wilder’s untested chin, tough that chin was tested with a few hard shots by Stivene in January for the WBC title.
“It’s time to test that chin. The Whole world wants to know how he’s going to react? I’m going to test that chin. I’ve hurt every single opponent I’ve been in the ring with, just like he has. I’m going to test that chin on Saturday night”. We shall see. The fight will be shown on Sky Sports at 1 a.m tonight
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