By Scott Gilfoid: #8 WBC heavyweight contender Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne wasn’t impressed with what he saw of #1 WBC Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) last Saturday night in watching him destroy a badly over-matched Jason Gavern (25-17-4, 11 KOs) in four rounds at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
Deontay didn’t destroy Gavern, one of his former sparring partners, immediately in the 1st round like he’d done 18 times in the past against other opposition. The fact that Deontay let Gavern survive, almost out what appeared to be kindness, has Browne thinking that Deontay isn’t as powerful as many boxing fans think.
Browne now believes he can punch harder than Deontay because he knocked out Gavern in the 3rd round two years ago in 2012. Never mind the fact that Deontay wasn’t trying to KO Gavern and was just looking to keep the fight alive as long as possible in order to get rounds, Browne still believes that Deontay isn’t a big puncher like people think he is.
“I think the Gavern fight showed that Wilder may not be all people say he is,” Browne said. “Gavern wasn’t in great shape and it took Wilder four rounds to get rid of him. When I boxed Gavern he was younger and fitter and I still took him out earlier and in better fashion. I honestly believe I hit harder than Wilder and I could knock him out.”
Browne says that Gavern was fitter when he fought him in 2012. Well, Gavern weighed a portly 254 pounds for his fight against Browne and 247 pounds for the Wilder fight last Saturday. I guess you can throw out the idea that Gavern was fitter for Browne, because that wasn’t the case.
“The truth is, he’s never had to fight his way through a war and his chin is yet to be tested. I think if I fought him and I landed on his chin, it would all be over,” Browne said.
The reality is that Browne is going life and death with the 2nd tier opposition he’s been matched up against recently, and that’s obviously not a good thing, is it? Is Deontay supposed to struggle against the 2nd tier fighters that he’s been matched up against in order to satisfy Browne that he’s had to “fight his way through a war?”
Deontay’s power is so good that he’s able to destroy the 2nd tier guys that he’s been put in with. I can understand how Browne is having problems against the weak opposition that he’s been facing because his hand speed is so incredibly slow, it makes it easy for his opponents to see his shots and they can brace for them. With Deontay, he appears to punch with much more power than Browne, and of course with far better hand speed.
“He’s ranked number one by the WBC without him really having to fight anyone of note so well done to him and his team for that,” Browne said. “If he fights Stiverne before he fights me then I hope he wins because I’m rated number eight and he could defend against me. Even if he loses, I’ll be ready and waiting. I’m more than happy to fight Wilder wherever he wants, whenever he wants.”
There’s no real point in Deontay fighting Browne if he captures the WBC title later this year, because Browne brings nothing to the table in terms of name recognition in the U.S. As such, Deontay would gain nothing in beating him.
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