Deontay Wilder headed for the big time

By Boxing News - 08/10/2012 - Comments

Image: Deontay Wilder headed for the big timeBy Scott Gilfoid: Unbeaten heavyweight Deontay Wilder (24-0, 24 KO’s) is taking his career forward after having taken it slowly for the first 22 fights. In his last two bouts the 26-year-old Wilder has stepped it up against Owen Beck and Kertson Manswell, two quality 2nd tier fighters with good power and boxing ability.

The 6’7″ Wilder with huge right hand power now wants to keeping fighting steadily better opposition each time out until he eventually lands a world title shot against one of the Klitschko brothers by this time next summer.

With his huge one-punch power, Wilder needs to be matched against guys with really good chins because he’s knocking everyone out so quickly. It’s good that Wilder is getting quick knockouts because it shows what kind of talent that he is, but it’s also a negative for him because he’s not able to learn like other fighters do with the give and take of normal fights.

When Wilder fires off right hands his opponents fold too quickly. Sure, he’s getting a lot of work in training camp against sparring partners but he needs guys that can take his power so that he can keep moving forward.

Trainer Emanuel Steward sees Wilder as already the best heavyweight in the United States despite Wilder not having faced anyone that you could call a good fighter. But Steward sees the right hand and the power and that’s impressing him. Steward wants Wilder to face better opposition like a lot of people want him to. That’s what’s going to happen from now on, because Wilder is ready to shift his career up a notch to fight some of the better heavyweights so that he can get ranked in the top 15.

One of the problems Wilder has is a lack of fighters that are willing to get in the ring with him. Because of his power a lot of guys tend to shy away from hi in order to keep from getting knocked out.

All Wilder needs is a handful of top contenders like Kubrat Pulev, Denis Boytsov and Ruslan Chagaev and he’ll be ready for a title shot.



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