Why Deontay Wilder is a long way from the top

By sean david - 04/28/2013 - Comments

wilder#1By Sean David: Heavyweight contender Deontay Wilder (28-0, 28 KO’s) has an impressive record. However, it only looks impressive on paper. At the moment the record is only as strong as that paper. He may be capable of contending for titles at the top level, but he is a long way from hanging and banging with the big boys.

Deontay’s record is high in numbers but low in quality. After watching his interviews, he is quite a likeable character and the boxing always has room for characters. If all it took to be in the elite was some microphone skills then yes he would be in the top ten, but talk is cheap.

Wilder has yet to face real opposition. No matter what his team or his fans say about his 1st round knockout win over Audley Harrison last Saturday night, it only proved one thing: He is at the moment only mildly better than David Price on paper, which is what his fans and team use to big him up.

Both fighters dispatched a 40+ fighter within a round, a fighter who fails every single time he is put under pressure. Price has a loss that he may or may not avenge, but on the flip side Wilder has yet to face an opponent with any threat level above – if you lose it’s a shocker and highly unlikely to happen. His opposition has thus far been the equivalent of a major nation invading a small island, a little fight might be given but it’s not going to last.

Wilder may well be able to hang with the big boys but he must now prove himself with a higher calibre of fighter. Despite claims of how good he looked against Harrison, I saw a sloppy scrappy puncher trying to get out of there in a rush. If he is as good as claimed then he should of used the fight to show some skill and even carried Audley a while to show some defence to help win over the doubters. If he is truly as good as he says then he could of shown us and dispatched Harrison at his leisure.

The best heavyweight in most fans memory at dispatching his opponents quickly was Mike Tyson, who despite his thuggish reputation by those in the know was the owner of a brilliant boxing mind flooded with all the skills and history needed. He fought like an old school fighter and the fighters of the time were unable in most part to deal with it. Tyson had style, and Wilder is well, wild! I think personality-wise, Wilder is good for the sport. However, to reach the heights of whatever talent he does have, he must push himself to the limits and show any doubters what he can do.

David Price in my mind is not a top level fighter, yet in my humble opinion looked more polished as a boxer in taking care of Audley. He’s far from perfect but still more disciplined. I know comments will now come my way over blah-blah wins to blah-blah knockouts but the fact is simply he has not knocked out or even stepped into the ring with a fighter who is willing or able to give back.

Deontay’s jaw and stamina is still in question and his skills definitely require work and a calmer mind in the ring could help. As when Harrison was in the corner, Wilder threw punches like a kid in a playground fight. If a tougher opponent had not gone down with those tactics then later rounds would have really pushed Deontay into deep water.

I am not writing Wilder off and I hope he proves his doubters wrong as the more fighters we have in the big leagues the better it is for the fans. The heavyweight division needs some life. Maybe David Haye, Tyson Fury and Wilder can inject the shot of adrenaline it needs and I hope they can. I think Haye needs to show he can still walk the walk. Fury needs to sharpen up his skills and both he and Wilder need to pick up the pace and earn their place amongst the best we have at the moment. Only time will tell and until they do the fanboys will shout but the facts wont lie.



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