By Jake Donovan
Deontay Wilder was still in his mother's womb when Larry Holmes successfully defended the heavyweight championship for the 20th and final time in May '85. Simply put, it's something Wilder has never experienced in his lifetime.
The unbeatean 6'7" heavyweight from Tuscaloosa made history three months in bringing a heavyweight championship to Alabama, the first time in history it has ever occurred. Following his 9th round knockout of Eric Molina in front of a sold-out crowd at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Wilder returns to the city—roughly an hour from his hometown—for his upcoming showdown with Johann Duhaupas.
The bout takes place September 26 in Legacy Arena at Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center (BJCC) in Birmimgham, with NBC to televise as part of its Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) series.
The event marks the first time a heavyweight title fight airs live in primetime on NBC since Holmes' decision win over Carl Williams more than 30 years ago. It's yet another footnote in a growing list of firsts (and lasts) for Wilder on a list that includes his serving as:
- the last American to have claimed an Olympic medal, winning the bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympics;
- the first American in nearly eight years to own a piece of the heavyweight championship, following his brilliant 12-round win over Bermane Stiverne in January;
- the first American in nearly 10 years to successfully defend a heavyweight title (Chris Byrd W12 DaVaryll Williamson, 10/1/2005) with his knockout win over Molina in June
"It's a blessed feeling. It makes me smile, just hearing all those things," Wilder (34-0, 33KOs) humbly admits. "God definitely got a calling on my life. I love making history. I'm doing it again.
"I just made history bringing the first heavyweight title (fight) to Alabama. Now we finna' make history again, doing the first heavyweight title fight on the networks in (30) years. It's a great feeling."
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com.
Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
Facebook Page: JakeBScene