By Jeff Aranow: #8 WBC Gerald Washington (18-0-1, 12 KOs) expects to knockout WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs) in their fight in two weeks from now on February 25 on Premier Boxing Champions on Fox from the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. Washington, 250lbs, says he’s 20 pounds heavier than the 225lb Wilder, and he’s going to use that weight advantage to KO him.
Washington, 34, points out that he’s seen Wilder hurt in his fights with little shots, and he says his legs are little and he’s seen them wobble when he’s hit. Washington expects to clip Wilder with one of his shots, and hurt him. Once he has Wilder hurt, he plans on knocking him out.
A loss for Wilder against the 6’7” Washington would ruin his chances for a big unification fight against IBF champion Anthony Joshua and WBO champ Joseph Parker. Washington isn’t expected to beat Wilder. He’s just a fringe level replacement for Wilder’s previously scheduled opponent Andrzej Wawrzyk, who tested positive recently for a banned substance.
“When I see Deontay Wilder, I’ve got to get him out of there,” said Gerald Washington to secondsout.com. “I’ve got to be aggressive at the right time. I’m not going to pressure him the whole time. I’m going to box him. I’ve got to step to him on the inside. I’ve got to score. I’ve got to land my shots and back him down. I’ve got to use my size against him,” said Washington.
Washington isn’t very fast of hand or foot in comparison to Wilder. Washington seems to push his punches rather than throwing them with a lot of speed and power. Washington has never knocked out any good heavyweights before. In Washington’s toughest fight of his career against Amir Mansour in October 2015, he fought to a controversial 10 round draw. That’s a fight that Washington should have lost in this boxing writer’s view.
Mansour looked like the better fighter of the two. Washington’s best win of his career was against former world title challenger Eddie Chambers last year on April 30. Chambers didn’t have the size to hurt Washington, but he did land a lot of clean shots to the head. Washington looked big and slow, and his reactions were not fast enough to keep Chambers from hitting him. Washington won the fight because of his long reach and his jab. He was able to keep Chambers on the outside most of the time.
“I’m 20 pounds heavier than him,” said Washington about Wilder. “I understand how to use that size. I know how to see weakness. When I hit someone, I’ve got to follow it up now. I’ve got to put some pressure on him and wear him out. He’s far more experienced than me, but I’m battle tested. I’ve been in some big fights and I’ve learned a lot. I know Deontay Wilder hasn’t faced anyone like me. I know the threat that he brings, but I’m ready for that. I’m not worried about anything Deontay Wilder has to say,” said Washington.
The weight difference between the two fighters isn’t important, because Wilder is so much faster and more powerful. Wilder punches like a fighter that weighs 250lbs. He’s a very puncher with his right hand. Wilder says his left hand has gotten better due to him working on it a lot after he tore his right bicep and broke his right hand in his last fight against Chris Arreola last year. If Wilder’s left hand power has improved, then this is going to be a very tough fight for Washington to try and win, because he’s never going to be able to match-up to Wilder’s right hand power.
“If he wants to look past me, so be it,” said Washington about Wilder. “I’m focused on my boxing. If I’m the best fighter I can be, I know I’ll be better than Deontay Wilder. We all know what he can do, but I can do the same thing as well. He wasn’t fighting the same guys when he had 16 fights. He wasn’t fighting Amir Mansour, but he needed that experience to develop his game. If you look at my first 18 fights, they were a lot better than his. He’s a brute. He’s a man that’s going to knock you out. That’s fine. I like to look at fighters like Bernard Hopkins, Andre Ward and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Skills pay the bills. You see him get rocked every time he fights. He gets rocked with something little here and there. I’m a man just like him. I’m not worried about Deontay Wilder. I’m not scared of Deontay Wilder. You have to be a smart fighter. I understand boxing. I’m going to work for 12 rounds if I need to. If I clip him, and I’m going to clip him, then I’m going to get him out of there. I can’t wait. You’ve already seen his little legs wobble,” said Washington.
Washington might be able to hurt Wilder if he lands one of his slow right hands, but it’s not likely. If Wilder starts throwing his right hand power shots, he’s likely to get Washington out of there quickly. It depends though whether Wilder’s right hand power is back to normal after he injured his right arm from his last fight.