By Cliff Rold
America’s least experienced fighter enters the semi-final round this Friday at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, towards the end of the day’s opening session, as the nation’s only guaranteed Medalist. What color will that Medal be?
The answer to that question will be decided in part by the fists of 22-year old Southern Gentleman Deontay Wilder of Tuscalossa, Alabama. The other part will be decided by the clash of styles and the established excellence brought to the table by Italy’s Clemente Russo. Russo has been a player on the international amateur stage for years now, his successes growing over time as he’s perfected a frustrating-for-others game in the ring.
In 2004, Russo competed at the Athens Games in the 178 lb. Light Heavyweight division. He didn’t last long, dropping a decision in the round of 16 to America’s eventual sole Gold Medal winner Andre Ward by a score of 17-9.
Russo stands as the immediate American impediment again, once again in the path of the hope to leave with just a single member of Team USA atop the podium for his division. Russo’s stand will be made with impeccable recent credentials.
He was the 2007 World Amateur champion in the Heavyweight division, defeating fellow 2008 Olympic semi-finalist Rhakim Chakhiev of Russia for those honors. Without doubt, Russo should be considered the favorite over the still sometimes wild Wilder.
Take a look at the brackets again and it’s clear that the Red, White and Blue’s 201 lb. entrant will face a tough road in a finals bracket that includes the reigning two best Amateur Heavyweights in the world. Has Wilder learned enough on the fly to do it?
Let’s go to the report card.
Speed: Both Wilder and Russo will enter their scheduled four two-minute rounds knowing that quick, visible punches are the best chance a fighter can give themselves to win in what has been an often controversially scored Olympics. In this respect, Russo’s athletic speed could serve him better than Wilder’s own speed will serve him. The Italian operates with the popular European style of leaping in and out with wide, easy to see blows and short counter hooks followed by frequent, rapid movement to the outside or educated clinches that prevent counter shots. He can and will make himself a small target to include pulling his head tight to his chest and then straight down to take his chin out of range. The American has his own quick hands, particularly for a fighter who stands 6’7. His height is important because to make his hands work for him, he’ll need to let his jab go hard and with abandon, alternating between side to side steps and come forward momentum to keep the Italian from getting into a rhythm. If his jab works, he can blind Russo when the Italian lunges and set up the straight right or, even better, Wilder’s mammoth left hook. Hopefully Wilder and his oft-maligned Olympic coach Dan Campbell have also concentrated some of their work on sharp, timed uppercut. Russo opens up when he throws his lead left. With the right step back at the right time, Wilder could create tremendous leverage on a right uppercut when he does. Pre-Fight Grades: Russo B+; Wilder B
Power: What power Russo carries isn’t displayed much in these Olympics. Understanding the nature of the game he’s playing, Russo works to score and win. He hits hard enough o command respect, and it’s all he’s looking for Wilder does not have the same luxury, lacking the background or rounds to be confident in such an outlook. He has, after all, only been fighting some three years. Wilder’s having made it this far is largely a product of power, and Wilder has a ton of it. In the opening round, behind on points, Wilder’s mighty left hook had his man reeling; in his quarterfinal bout, the long right and left jab kept his Moroccan opponent brave. He might not be able to outbox Russo, but he has a shot at putting him to sleep. Pre-Fight Grades: Wilder A; Russo B-
Defense: Russo’s defensive ability is best understood in the context of his style. It’s not pretty and it’s not particularly exciting. Constant movement, lunging offense, and a willingness to clinch make him difficult to time on the way in or strike on the way out. Russo has worked hard to be good at what he does and he competes with a naked confidence, almost arrogance, belying the honors he’s collected thus far. Defense is an area where Wilder makes mistakes. No, he’s not easy to hit, but much of that is a product of size. When Wilder leans away from shots, he is a hell of a tough target to find. It’s not an impossible target. The leans often come as he backs up straight instead of at angles, sometimes uncomfortably responding to pressure. He’s reacting on instinct as much as from precious education. Given the Olympic focus on scoring blows rather than hard ones, if Russo’s leaps keep him on his back foot, he’s going to eat plenty of slaps and not get leverage on his own. Wilder too is willing to tie up on the inside, but if he resorts to it he’ll need to break clinches himself and step out for his left hook to make it effective. Pre-Fight Grades: Russo B+; Wilder B-
Intangibles: Standing at just shy of 6’0, the 28-year old Russo will be looking well up at Wilder but has logged so many more rounds it’s likely he’ll feel he’s looking down. Russo is interesting; having already competed at the Olympics, he chose to pursue another shot at Gold rather than turn professional. Italy isn’t a nation where being a professional fighter faces state obstacles (like Cuba), indicating that Amateur Boxing may just suit him better. Whatever the reason for still banging away in the nominally unpaid ranks, he wanted Gold enough to return and improved his quality as a fighter since Athens, displaying both character and work ethic. Wilder also exhibits those qualities and a hint of audacity. With approximately three years of ring time logged, he shouldn’t be in the hunt for a Gold Medal but he is. The modern amateur scoring system says that making a habit of falling behind on points is a great way to consistently lose. He hasn’t. In fact, Wilder has done the opposite and made a habit of roaring back late to win fights in both Beijing and at his last chance Olympic qualifier earlier this year. His daughter back home in the States, struggling with spinal bifida will certainly motivate him should he fall behind again. Wilder is proof that years of training can be made up for with a fighting heart. Pre-Fight Grades: Wilder A; Russo A
Overall Report Card: Russo B+; Wilder B
The Pick: As a needed correction previously noted in this site’s Picks of the Week column on Tuesday, previous Olympic coverage from this scribe had noted that Wilder’s lone medal will be America’s worst haul ever. That is not the case; it would tie the showing from the 1948 squad. I had wrongly credited Puerto Rico’s Bronze Medalist Juan Venegas as an American in research notes and apologize.
That bit of humbling aside, this year’s Games will be memorable for too many of the wrong reasons in terms of U.S. Olympic Boxing. Wilder has a shot at the right reasons. His is a wonderful story, the young man who manned up to take care of a child, working odd jobs and pursuing a fortune in his fists. If the world’s film reels were still black and write, activities still anthologized through the clacking of typewriter keys, Wilder could easily be the romanticized fighter of another time…if he wins.
It’s a pretty big if.
He’s got two big, tough fights to go and the worst of them comes first. The reigning best in the world is going to look to frustrate him and probably will early on. It’s almost a given that Wilder is behind on points at the end of the first and probably second. How far behind could determine the outcome. Within three points at the end of two and Wilder’s power could get him back in play; down by five or six and Russo has almost no reason to engage. Wilder will have to chase, and in the chase give up leverage on his best left hooks and straight rights. It wouldn’t be impossible to land the bomb with such a scenario, but it becomes less possible for sure.
Wilder has to use the jab to upset the awkward rhythm of Russo and he needs to get on him right away. The speed and size of Wilder hasn’t been fully channeled yet. It says here that Friday he puts it all together in a complete performance. Wilder has come up big every time his back touched the wall; he’s crowded into that spot now. Look for Wilder to slip slightly behind before stunning Russo and cranking up the pain en route to a narrow points victory.
For those looking to catch the fight live in America, CNBC will feature the semifinals live overnight between go to be Thursday and get up Friday morning. The Heavyweight competition will then conclude on Saturday, live on NBC.
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Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com