by David P. Greisman
There were as many reasons to doubt Deontay Wilder as there were reasons to believe in him, to think that that he would be the latest overhyped heavyweight to underdeliver.
If you could doubt a man who had scored knockouts in all 32 of wins, it was because you were already acquainted with a sport where prospects can become contenders, contenders can become titleholders, and titleholders can remain undefeated, all while still being untested.
It was because you had seen so many built up on shaky foundations — built on the backs of laid-out opponents, foes whose felling can give the impression of a fighter being a world-beater. Often that impression is proven an illusion once he steps in against those closer to world-class.
Boxing’s biggest men have been a sizable share of the flawed and the frauds, with Michael Grant one of the more infamous cautionary tales. Grant was 31-0 with 22 knockouts when he fought for the heavyweight championship against Lennox Lewis, only to be knocked down four times in less than six minutes. That at least was a defeat against a future Hall of Famer; 15 months later Grant was dispatched in less than a minute by Jameel McCline.
Wilder, like Grant, is a 6-foot-7 former team-sport athlete who turned to boxing at a later age, nearly 20 when he first entered the amateur ranks. His height, speed and raw skill made him the unlikely lone medalist on the American Olympic boxing team in 2008, a performance that earned him the nickname of “Bronze Bomber.” Like Grant he had to develop as a pro, moved carefully over the course of about six years until an opportunity, barely deserved, presented itself.
Wilder’s best win before this past weekend had come against Malik Scott, a skilled boxer who never reached his potential and who went to the canvas halfway into the first round, dropped by a left hook and right hand. That landed Wilder a shot at a title held by Stiverne, who had his own parallels with Lewis. Both are dreadlocked heavyweights of Caribbean heritage, Stiverne from Haiti and Lewis a Brit whose parents are from Jamaica. Both moved to Canada and later relocated, Stiverne going to the United States and Lewis returning to the United Kingdom.
But Lewis was an Olympic gold medalist who had become the true heavyweight champion. Stiverne was a decent heavyweight in an era with a shallow pool of talent, a titleholder in a division ruled by champ Wladimir Klitschko, and someone whose best wins were two victories over Chris Arreola. Stiverne would have to suffice as Wilder’s biggest test to date, and some felt him capable of taking Wilder’s power, cracking Wilder’s chin and dispelling Wilder’s hype.
That’s not what happened.
Wilder still has flaws, but he also had enough size and speed and power to top Stiverne by a wide unanimous decision. He proved that he’s not merely gifted enough to beat the has-beens and never-weres. He’s also good enough to compete with other contenders.
As with many boxing matches, the losing fighter must take some of the blame for the defeat while the winning boxer receives credit for his victory. There was much that Stiverne didn’t do on Saturday night. Some of that was because Wilder wouldn’t let him.
The fight kicked off with tension and the expectation that it could end early on a flush, hard shot from either man.
Stiverne pressed forward, making his power-punching opponent move, yet he didn’t pressure Wilder, who boxed behind his jab to keep distance and occasionally planted to come forward with a left hook or right hand.
As the second round came to an end, Wilder landed a right hand that stunned Stiverne, who tried to cover up as Wilder sent wild flurries that landed. The bell rang and Stiverne fell forward as referee Tony Weeks moved in, a tackle that dropped all three to the canvas. Wilder threw a shot from his back, Stiverne staggered to his feet, Weeks rightly didn’t rule it a knockdown, and viewers wondered whether this would be another extremely early night for Wilder.
That had always been the case. He had ended 18 fights in the first round, six fights in the second, four in the third, and four in the fourth.
Stiverne steadied himself. Wilder wound up going the distance for the first time in his career. He spent more time in the ring on Saturday night (36 minutes in one 12-round bout) than he had in the previous two years (31.5 minutes in 12 rounds during six fights).
Stiverne plodded and followed, rarely letting his hands go, doing little to cut off the ring. He was about the same weight at 239 pounds as he’d been for the Arreola rematch yet he didn’t appear to be in great shape, heavier and squatter than the lanky Wilder, whose lean 219 pounds and athletic build allowed him to move well.
Stiverne had averaged 55 punches thrown through four in the first Arreola fight and 40 punches per round through four in the rematch, according to CompuBox. His activity level was much lower against Wilder, who was less stationary and presented a different style. Through four on Saturday, Stiverne had thrown about 24 punches per round, landing an average of six.
And that was including a fourth round in which Stiverne rebounded, landing more than just the occasional body shot or punch to the head. Wilder claimed afterward that he’d hurt his right hand in the third or fourth — though he continued to throw it — and that he’d also suffered a freak eye injury with a stretching band just the day before the bout.
There had been questions beforehand about whether Wilder would have the stamina to go 12 rounds. If Stiverne was hoping for Wilder to tire, he wasn’t doing much to help make it happen, nor was Wilder doing anything to sabotage himself. Despite his reputation and résumé, Wilder didn’t seek to bomb Stiverne out of the ring with every shot, working instead behind the jab, loading up when he saw an opportunity, opening up with more extended combinations when Stiverne was hurt, and reining himself in when he realized Stiverne wasn’t yet ready to go.
Stiverne had moments, though they were too few. He was the one whose mouth was noticeably open and sucking in air. Wilder was the one to get through his own exhaustion and come out with a burst of energy in the ninth. Wilder was the one with his arms raised. Stiverne was the one taken to the hospital to be treated for dehydration.
“It wasn't my night,” Stiverne said immediately after the fight. “I didn't feel 100 percent. I felt 100 percent before the fight, but when we got in the ring I just couldn't cut the ring, I couldn't move my head like I was moving it in sparring, like I usually do. ... It just didn't come out. I was trying to throw combinations in four or five punches. I could only throw two of them. I just felt like I was flat in the ring.”
Wilder celebrated as the final bell rang, leaning over the ropes to yell down at some of those who’d doubted him, who recognized the cautious manner in which he was developed, who felt that the hype from the knockout record was not commensurate with the level of the knockout victims, and who believed that Wilder could very well be the next heavyweight to fail once he stepped up against better competition.
“I think I answered a lot of questions tonight,” Wilder said after the fight.
He did, though it’s fair to say that he’s still a work in progress.
That’s not so much a critique given that it means that Wilder still has more upside. He can still develop further, learning to use his hand speed and height and power even better than he uses them already, and getting a better grasp for the ring, for the strategic and stylistic components of the sport.
This was the biggest test of his career, and it was for a world title, but it was akin to an entrance exam to prove that he belongs in a certain class. Every test from here on out will show what he’s learned in the preceding months, amplifying what skills and knowledge he already has.
There should be no rush to face Wladimir Klitschko, not when there are other, lesser heavyweights to face, and not while there is still time for Klitschko to finally show his advancing age and for Wilder to arrive at the right moment to try to take advantage of that.
There will still be those who have their doubts about Wilder, who believe that other rising heavyweight prospects will be the future of the division. Anthony Joshua of the United Kingdom and Joseph Parker of New Zealand are two in particular whose development is being monitored. They’re both young, but what they’ve done so far is noteworthy.
Wilder, meanwhile, did more to dispel his doubters with his one decision victory than he had in the 32 knockouts that came before. Now we know he belongs in the spotlight. And now we’ll see how long he can stay in it.
The 10 Count
1. Last week brought the expected but nonetheless blockbuster announcement that powerful adviser/manager/de facto promoter Al Haymon would be bringing boxing to NBC through deal that will include five primetime NBC cards, six afternoon NBC cards, and nine evening cards on NBC Sports Network.
The first card, on March 7, has a main event Robert Guerrero vs. Keith Thurman with an undercard bout of Adrien Broner vs. John Molina. Another card, on April 11, features Danny Garcia vs. Anthony Peterson.
Haymon is boxing’s boogeyman and is often maligned due to his influence in the sport and his lack of public visibility. But people shouldn’t be rooting against him this time around. That’s because these shows need to be a success for boxing to grow. We need to have more than the usual 1.2 million or so American viewers tune in.
Here’s hoping these cards are marketed well and that the casual and the curious watch. And here’s hoping the fighters satisfy their customers and give them reasons to return.
2. It’s understandable if you find it hard to accept the spin from Showtime executive Stephen Espinoza that he’s OK with many of Al Haymon’s name fighters ending up in competitive matchups on NBC instead of on Espinoza’s own network.
"It’s a positive for Showtime's future. We were consulted in advance regarding the fights to be scheduled on NBC, and we had the opportunity to retain those fights for Showtime, but we decided that the better long-term play – for the individual boxers, for the sport of boxing, and ultimately, for Showtime – was to allow the boxers to benefit from the mainstream exposure of network television. That exposure will only serve to elevate them further when they return to Showtime in the very near future," Espinoza stated in his email to BoxingScene.
"Our goal is not to get one or two good fights on Showtime. We want to elevate the boxers we’ve been building on Showtime – and simultaneously elevate the sport of boxing as a whole - to heights we have not seen for many, many years. Part of doing that includes allowing boxers to appear on network television in order to expand their fan base and to attract new fans to the sport. If we can refresh and expand boxing’s fan base, then Showtime and every other network that televises boxing stands to reap the benefits."
It’s hard to accept that line of logic because Showtime was spending money on mismatches for the sake of maintaining relationships with the fighters and building toward having those competitive matchups on Showtime, not on NBC.
I spoke with Espinoza immediately after the much-maligned August card that featured Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson vs. gimme opponents rather than against each other.
“The promoter could not deliver that fight to us. I negotiate with promoters. I negotiate with Golden Boy Promotions. I asked for that fight. They couldn’t deliver it. It could not be made. … Very likely it could be made in December or early next year, but it was not a fight that was available.
“Each of those guys needed a fight. They’re both guys that we had invested in. The choice is either to make the best of what you can and try to build toward the future, or just walk away and risk not having something in August,” said Espinoza, referring to boxing programming for later in the month, as an Aug. 16 tripleheader on the network hadn’t yet been confirmed.
“There are a confluence of different factors,” he said. “The timing. The need for programming. There’s supporting promoters and fighters that we have worked with in the past, and building for a future.”
Instead, Garcia vs. Peterson will be on NBC on April 11. Robert Guerrero vs. Keith Thurman will be on NBC on March 7. In 2014, Thurman got paydays against lower-tier opponents Julio Diaz and Leonard Bundu last year on Showtime.
We still may very well get good fighters involving Haymon fighters on Showtime, but Haymon’s first priority is going to be the airtime he’s paying for on NBC. Showtime can still benefit from the increased exposure on NBC — if the audience numbers are good, and if the audience subsequently likes a fight or a fighter enough to tune in on premium cable.
“May very well.” “If.”
There are no guarantees when it comes to boxing. Espinoza may know more than we do from behind-the-scenes conversations and may have very good reasons to believe that his working relationship over these past few years with Haymon will benefit Showtime — even though it won’t do so right now.
But for right now, it feels like Haymon, like other promoters and managers, strung along a network for paydays and then moved on to an even better opportunity.
3. It’s not a surprise that negotiations for a fight between Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez ended last week without Cotto’s signature.
It’s been clear since Cotto topped Sergio Martinez last year that he would be a viable foe for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, who outpointed Cotto in 2012. Now that Cotto is the middleweight champion, Mayweather could add a lineal championship in a fifth division (along with 130, 135, 147, 154) and a world title in a sixth weight class (he also held a belt at 140).
If Mayweather doesn’t sign to face Manny Pacquiao this spring, then it seems more likely that he’d face Cotto — and not Amir Khan.
Alvarez’s team and promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, set deadlines as they want to have their fight take place on the same date, May 2, on which Mayweather would likely perform. Canelo’s team is now pursuing other options.
If Mayweather faces Pacquiao, then there’s no way Canelo against anyone — not even Miguel Cotto — would try to compete against that on pay-per-view. Cotto can wait to see how those negotiations go and still perhaps face Canelo in June or July if we end up with Floyd vs. Manny in May. Otherwise, Cotto ends up with a big payday against Mayweather in May.
4. My two takeaways from the news that Jean Pascal sought random drug testing for his upcoming fight with Sergey Kovalev, that Kovalev accepted and that Kovalev’s promoter turned it down:
(The story by Michael Woods of The Sweet Science can be seen at http://bit.ly/pascalkovalevtesting )
- If a fighter wants better drug testing for his bout, then that’s a demand he should make before a contract is signed, not after.
- It’s disappointing that Kathy Duva of Main Events shot down Pascal’s request. She told Woods that promoters shouldn’t act as regulators as they cannot conduct drug testing fairly and transparently. As she told me last summer when I asked about testing for Kovalev’s fight with Bernard Hopkins, she wants commissions to take the lead.
Here’s what I wrote back then:
“But the commissions aren’t taking the lead. This sport has done very little to move ahead with better drug testing in recent years despite the cases of high-profile boxers testing positive, despite the increasing awareness of doping in sports as a whole, and despite the regular acknowledgement of how weak and rare testing in boxing continues to be.”
Promoters don’t need to be regulators, but they can still institute better drug testing by allowing for an independent body to conduct it. The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, for one, mandates that positive drug tests be released to athletic commissions, the Association of Boxing Commissions and FightFax.
It’s then up to the commission to hold fighters accountable for positive drug tests — which is what we didn’t see in New York when Erik Morales tested positive prior to his rematch with Danny Garcia.
Alas, too many in this sport either neglect to or simply reject the idea of instituting measures in the hopes of preventing fighters from taking performance enhancing drugs and having a better chance of catching those who do take them.
5. If you read this website — and, well, you’re here — then you’ve likely seen the work of Tom Casino, a boxing photographer who often works on behalf of Showtime.
As you’re reading this website, then, here’s this message about Casino’s health from boxing commentator Steve Farhood, boxing publicist Fred Sternburg, and Dave Lilling:
“Please help Tom Casino as he recovers from several health emergencies. The money will be used for living expenses and medical bills.
“For many years, Showtime sports photographer Tom Casino has artfully captured the seminal moments of athletic competitions and focused too on the needs and well being of others. Now he needs our help.
“Back surgery last summer, then a near-lethal pulmonary embolism and a debilitating stomach virus called c.diff, have depleted Tom’s assets, the misery compounded by additional expenses through another six months of physical rehabilitation. Under a best-case scenario, these medical setbacks will cost Tommy one year of work and more than $100,000 in health-care costs. Without our help, food stamps, Medicaid and financial ruin loom his new reality.
“Determined to summon a spark of his old vitality, Tom engages in grueling physical therapy three times a week at the Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, NJ, with the relentless attention to detail that makes him such a gifted photographer. Those who know Tom personally or professionally surely regard his cheerful disposition, caring ways and consistent generosity. If we truly get back what we give in this life, Tom should be due rich assistance.
“He has been there for many of us. Now, in his hour of need, let’s turn the lens on him and capture what he means to us. Here’s how you can help.
“You can donate online with a credit card at: https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/qq97/tom-casino?utm_source=giveforward&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=dashboard&shareid=2980196
“If you are uncomfortable donating on line, you can make out a check to “Tom Casino.” On the memo line please write ‘Gift,’ which will provide you and Tom a gift-tax exemption. Please mail the check to: Tom Casino, P.O. Box 58212, Washington, D.C. 20037
“Let’s get Tom on the road to a complete recovery. Feel free to forward this to your colleagues and to contact us with any questions. Thank you for your generosity.”
As of Sunday evening, the online fundraising site showed about $5,000 in donations.
6. Boxers Behaving Badly update, part one: Mike Alvarado has a date in the ring this coming Saturday against Brandon Rios and a date in court on Feb. 25.
He was arrested Jan. 3 on an open warrant during a traffic stop caused by his vehicle’s registration being expired. Officers also believed they saw Alvarado, who was in the passenger seat, putting something into his glove compartment. They soon discovered the open warrant for Alvarado’s arrest, plus a handgun in the glove compartment, the report said. Alvarado claimed during HBO’s “Road to Alvarado-Rios 3” that the gun belonged to the other man in the vehicle and that this friend will own up to it. Nevertheless, the case continues — and there still are the matters that led to the open warrants.
Regarding that, Alvarado had been taken into police custody in Nevada in late September after a disturbance call led police to discover open warrants for him in Colorado. The 34-year-old had a traffic warrant issued on May 27 by the Northglenn Police Department for failure to appear in court for a charge of “driving under restraint,” according to online records. He then had a felony warrant issued on June 3 by the Thornton Police Department for a past charge of “possession of weapons by previous offenders.”
He was supposed to have a court date on Dec. 22 in Adams County District Court for an arraignment in a the latter case of being a felon in possession of a weapon. Apparently he allegedly didn’t show, as the Adams County Sheriff’s Office website had showed an open warrant issued Dec. 22 for “failure to appear.” He also had a warrant issued Dec. 16 for failure to appear in a traffic case out of Northglenn for the aforementioned charge of driving under restraint.
Alvarado has a lengthy criminal record and spent some time behind bars a handful of years ago for violating probation “involving traffic- and driving-oriented offenses and an earlier domestic violence charge,” The Denver Post wrote in 2010 as the boxer was preparing to come back to the ring.
He is coming off a pair of losses — one to Ruslan Provodnikov via stoppage in October 2013, another via decision against Juan Manuel Marquez in May. That brought his record to 34-3 with 23 KOs.
7. It's no surprise that Mike Alvarado keeps facing these weapons charges. He tends to shoot himself in the foot…
8. Boxers Behaving Badly update, part two: A junior-welterweight propect named Atif Mushtaq was sentenced last week to four years and eight months in prison for having sex with a 14-year-old girl, according to British newspaper the Daily Star.
He pleaded guilty last year to having sex with her as well as to one count of “intending to pervert the course of public justice,” as he’d told the girl to claim that she’d told Mushtaq that she was 18, according to a report in Pendle Today.
Mushtaq turned 27 on Oct. 30. He is 4-0-1 with no knockouts.
The Daily Star also noted that Mushtaq proposed to his girlfriend later in the day after hooking up with the teenager.
His first pro bout was in July 2013, when he drew with a 7-154-6 opponent named Kristian Laight. He went on to win four bouts, all by points, topping a foe who was 0-5, one who was 19-110-7, one who was 3-55-2, and then taking a rematch over Laight this past September.
9. Boxers Behaving Badly: Brian Barbosa, a former middleweight who fought a few recognizable names, was arrested earlier this month and accused of being one of three people involved in an attack that left a man seriously injured, according to Massachusetts newspaper The Enterprise.
Barbosa was “charged with armed assault to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon,” the report said. The alleged incident happened at a home in the town of Mashpee. The victim had to undergo brain surgery after being beaten with a fire iron.
The 41-year-old turned pro in 1991 with a loss and suffered three defeats in his first 11 bouts, but by 1996 he had scored a stoppage win over future title challenger (and Bernard Hopkins trilogy foe) Robert Allen. Barbosa lost via knockout to Antwun Echols in 1998 and by decision to Carl Daniels in 2000. He left the sport in 2003, only to return for one bout apiece in 2011, 2012 and 2013. His record was 31-7 with 23 KOs and 1 no contest.
10. Meanwhile there is Anthony Crolla, who was not a Boxer Behaving Badly but rather a Boxer Trying to Catch Other People Behaving Badly.
Sadly Crolla, a 28-year-old British lightweight, was injured last month when he confronted two alleged burglars outside of his neighbor’s home. He was hit in the head with a concrete slab and broke his ankle, injuries that left him hospitalized and postponed his challenge of 135-pound titleholder Richar Abril.
Fortunately, Crolla is recovering and believes that he can be back in the ring in May.
In other words, he'll have tried to stop a robbery and gotten hurt in the process and will return to a sport where he'll get hurt — and potentially robbed in the process…
“Fighting Words” appears every Monday on BoxingScene.com. Pick up a copy of David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsamazon or internationally at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsworldwide . Send questions/comments via email at fightingwords1@gmail.com
