By Dave Sholler

Fifteen seconds. That’s how long it took then-unknown heavyweight TJ Wilson to dispose of rising contender Travis Walker in a Showtime bout last October.

Over 15 weeks later, many are still questioning whether the 6’7 southpaw legitimately stopped his 28-year-old foe. Don’t count Wilson among those who have questioned referee Raul Caiz’s decision to end the fight though. After landing repeated unanswered blows to his stunned opponent, the victorious Wilson (12-1, 8 KOs) believes Caiz correctly called a halt to the bout. One look at the defenseless Walker (26-1-1, 20 KOs) nearly crumbled in the corner was enough damage for Caiz to stop the fight, Wilson said.

“Quite frankly, I don’t see any controversy,” Wilson, whose lone loss came in 2003, said Thursday in an exclusive interview from his home in Miami. “It was the case of a man who couldn’t defend himself. If the ref had let him fall on his back, there would have been no controversy.

“He’s (Walker) been crying about it since the day of the fight,” Wilson continued. “But man, I wasn’t going to stop hitting him. Clearly he was out. He got a few seconds to clear his head after the ref jumped in and then he wanted to cry foul.”

While “Top Dog” Wilson argues that the stoppage was just because Walker was out on his feet, he realizes that the only way to silence the critics is to bomb Walker again. The Georgia-born fighter will look to do so in their Showtime rematch at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, California on February 29. With just a week to go before the bout, Wilson is debating over which in-ring approach to deploy against Walker. Regardless of his chosen game plan, Wilson said he will once again show why he is the better, more accomplished fighter.

“I’m unsure if I’m going to showcase my talents or just take his head off,” Wilson said confidently. “I have a bad taste in my mouth from (the last bout), so I’m going to put him on his back. There won’t be any controversy this time.

“People were scared of him because of his record. Not me. We are in two different classes.”

Wilson does not expect to drastically change any of the skills that have made him successful in the rematch. Surprising many by bull-rushing and overwhelming Walker in their first bout, Wilson admits that he did not expect to earn a victory in such dramatic fashion. Although he’d settle for a similar outcome on February 29, Wilson is conditioning himself for the long haul of a 10 round fight. It’s the only way the savvy vet knows how.

“I definitely have something to prove,” Wilson said, adding that he has logged 30 miles of roadwork each week during training camp. “I was ready for 10 rounds last fight and I won’t deviate from that. I’m going to come out and apply pressure. Winning is first and foremost. How I do it makes no difference. The bottom line is that if it’s not broke, there’s no need to fix it.”

In addition to conditioning himself for a long night on February 29, Wilson is hopeful that the bout will propel him into world title contention. Citing a strong division that features the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Sultan Ibragimov, Samuel Peter, and Oleg Maskaev among others, Wilson believes his name should be lumped into the top-tier category. Moreover, at 33 years old, Wilson wants to focus on quality, not quantity in moving forward. Should he defeat Walker again, Wilson wants the right fights to further his career.

“The last fight with Travis put me in a position to where the professional rankings have taken notice,” Wilson said, adding that his international experience in the amateurs should not be overlooked either. “I’m not looking to fight bums. I’m not looking for an extensive number of fights. I want to fight the best fighters.

“I have a few years to really make my mark,” Wilson, who has trained with Oliver McCall and Nikolai Valuev in recent years, added. “At this point, the rematch (with Walker) is the most important fight of my career. After that, I’d like to fight (Chris) Arreola or (Hasim) Rahman.”

In the end, TJ Wilson wants to show that his October win over Travis Walker was no fluke. Wilson, who has paid his dues on both the amateur and professional circuit, just wants the opportunity to prove that he belongs atop the heavyweight division. The man known as “Top Dog” is hoping the rematch next weekend will not signal the end of his 15-seconds of fame.

“From 1996-2000, I was ranked either number one or number two in the United States in the amateurs,” Wilson said. “Then when I turned pro, no one wanted to fight me. Now I have a chance to break into the world rankings again. If I can knock you off and take your spot, I want you.”

Stiff Jabs:

Whether it’s at 160, 168, or 338 pounds, Felix Trinidad should avoid Kelly Pavlik at all costs. Simply put, he cannot match the Youngstown product’s power, output, or pace. For Pavlik, there is no reason to fight Trinidad either. While I’m not a fan of John Duddy receiving a title shot yet, I’d much rather see the Irish sensation get a world title chance than Trinidad.

A Mikkel Kessler-Jermain Taylor bout sounds outstanding, but here’s to hoping Winky Wright grabs Taylor first. There’s plenty of unfinished business between the two and also something at stake that both yearn for: money. While they wouldn’t necessarily command pay-per-view time, Taylor vs. Wright II would make any Saturday night card spectacular. They’d probably pocket decent bread, too. Early indications are that Taylor may take a “get back in the win column” bout first, but a late 2008 Taylor-Wright rematch should be promoter Lou DiBella’s goal.

Call me crazy (it wouldn’t be the first time), but I think Bernard Hopkins is the definitive favorite against Joe Calzaghe. Kessler and Jeff Lacy were great fights for the Pride of Wales. But I’ll take Bernard’s experience (Trinidad, De La Hoya, Taylor, Tarver, Wright) over Calzaghe’s any day. Whether he’s venom spewing or not, it’s unfair to lessen the legacy Hopkins has created.

Rightfully so, there aren’t many folks giving Alfonso Gomez a chance in hell to defeat WBA champ Miguel Cotto on April 12. But given that a Cotto win could mean a long-awaited summer time bout with Antonio Margarito (should he get by Kermit Cintron on the same night), is anyone else fearful that Gomez could stand as a tougher-than-expected roadblock?

Paul Williams’ lackluster performance against Carlos Quintana may have stalled the Punisher’s hype, but shouldn’t forever derail his quest for domination at 147 pounds. Whether he can make the weight or not, Paul fell victim to fighting Quintana’s fight instead of enacting his own game plan. It is clear that Williams was flustered by Quintana’s ability to elude punches, a rookie mistake that left the former champion reeling. How Williams rebounds should give us a better idea of whether he has the pedigree necessary to rule a crowded welterweight division.

So let me get this right: Oscar De La Hoya will fight pint-sized Steve Forbes in a May tune-up and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will wrassle seven-footer The Big Show? What’s next for Floyd, a tag-team match with 50 Cent? Also, note to Floyd: WWE is fake. Your “punch” to Big Show’s nose should have been, too.

I couldn’t help but to flick on Showtime during the Pavlik-Taylor PPV broadcast to see the freakish Kimbo Slice. While I was unimpressed with his win over the bloated, vodka-guzzling Tank Abbott, I was pleased to hear that he’d like to throw down with Mike Tyson. At this stage, I’d prefer Slice vs. Butterbean. Talk about wild and crazy.

Dave Sholler serves as a boxing analyst for sports radio stations across the country. His column runs weekly on BoxingScene.com.