Grade Deontay Wilder's performance last nite

[HarvardBlue]

I gave him a B. He got caught off guard in the first round. However, he did exactly what he needed to do in that fight. He hurt his opponent several times, got the KO, and was never in any trouble. We just saw the supposed best heavyweight ever hug his way to a victory. Wilder can punch and KOs everyone they put in front of him. I'm sure they'll keep stepping up his competition. Until someone comes along and truly challenge him I believe he's on the right path to becoming a good if not great heavyweight.

[bklynboy]

I'd like to see him fight Travis Walker. Walkers been in with damn near everybody and can punch pretty damn hard if nothing else. If he gets past Walker put him in with somebody like Wach or Ustinov both of WHOm I am not convinced Wilder would get past but if he did he would learn something in the process and maybe be able to relax in the ring a bit better.

Wilder is an interesting prospect but his cheerleaders are pretty much idiots. Americans always go gaga and starry eyed for muscular "athletic" Black fighters. Another drawback on Wilder is to be brutally honest he doesn't seem to be the brightest lightbulb in the box either.

Not all Americans. "Athletic" is important but one among many talents. Sugar Ray Leonard and Roy Jones fit that mold but Bernard Hopkins and Evander Holyfield do not. And I'm not sure where to put Floyd Mayweather. He, as with Hopkins, are more cerebral than athletic. They out think their opponent, lay traps and win via counters as opposed to their "athleticism".

[StarshipTrooper]

C.....I wasn't impressed. Fighting a hideously bad tomato can and Wilder STILL looks crude and amateurish. Opponents of that ilk are supposed to make prospects look good and it didn't happen.

[Earl-Hickey]

I gave him B-

He did what he had to do, but not much else and he didn't show anything new in my opinion

[Alx.]

c+, fights trashcans

[BostonGuy]

Just rewatched the fight and I think I was overally critical of Wilder's performance. Here are a few things that I liked:

He seemed to use his reach and height to his advantage, fought at a distance and kept Firtha off with his stiff jab. He also seems to have a decent amount of speed and his punches sometimes look very crisp. Also, his punching power is awesome; he's got cracking punches.

Also, while watching I could hear Teddy Atlas' voice saying something like "dis guy likes to admire his work" i.e. Wilder throws some huge one-two combo and watches his opponent's reaction instead of getting back into the defensive position.

With these things in mind I would regrade his performance from an B to B+

[Weltschmerz]

I like Wilder, let's get him in there with Arreola and see how he deals with a pressure boxer who has an iron chin to come with it. That's the challenge he needs so that we can see what he's really made of.

And you're right, he doesn't really look like a boxer, he probably needs to work on his D some more, something he didn't need so far.

[BostonGuy]

i think they're moving him well right now. the guy still hardly knows how to box. i don't care if he's got 130 fights. a guy who can't box yet is a guy who can't box yet.

he's been matched recently with the intention of getting him rounds. that's exactly what i'd be doing.


if you move him too quickly he will lose. he's an american HW with talent in his mid 20's. if they move him right he's going to become a very rich man. the only thing that will ruin him right now is moving him too quickly. doing what they're doing is not ruining him. you might not have the patience for it, but it is not ruining him. he cannot box yet. he is getting better. he needs rounds.



when i say "he needs rounds" that doesn't mean he needs to be thrown to the wolves. "getting rounds" is something thats done against guys who are supposed to lose, but are good enough that you can't bomb them out without having to work for it.


wilder has boxed 53 round as a pro, man. 53.

I disagree wit dis. They're not "ruining him" but his team is doing him a disservice IMO.

Feeding him a steady diet of tomato cans does not move him along and progress his career. Wilder has sparred with Wlad/Haye and other top heavyweights so when you put him in with a guy like Firtha it's a huge step down.

His management needs to put him in with someone who's gonna give him a challenge and who's gonna test him; Wilder is perfectly capable of beating a top 20 opponent, so why is his team so afraid of putting him in with one?

I've been following Wilder since he went pro and I want him to succeed but what I'm afraid of, is his management taking the path of least resistance to a title shot and then having their fighter get dominated and KTFO.

I've read numerous reports about how Wilder is positioning himself for a title shot next year and I've also heard Wladimir Klitschko talk about him as a potential opponent. With this in mind, is fighting guys like Firtha gonna prepare him? -Obvioulsy not.

I'm sure Wilder could beat guys like Adamek, Wach, Dimitrenko, Zimnoch, Kevin Johnson, Glazkov, et al. His management needs to put some faith in their fighter and take the calculated gamble

[BostonGuy]

I disagree wit dis. They're not "ruining him" but his team is doing him a disservice IMO.

Feeding him a steady diet of tomato cans does not move him along and progress his career. Wilder has sparred with Wlad/Haye and other top heavyweights so when you put him in with a guy like Firtha it's a huge step down.

His management needs to put him in with someone who's gonna give him a challenge and who's gonna test him; Wilder is perfectly capable of beating a top 20 opponent, so why is his team so afraid of putting him in with one?

I've been following Wilder since he went pro and I want him to succeed but what I'm afraid of, is his management taking the path of least resistance to a title shot and then having their fighter get dominated and KTFO.

I've read numerous reports about how Wilder is positioning himself for a title shot next year and I've also heard Wladimir Klitschko talk about him as a potential opponent. With this in mind, is fighting guys like Firtha gonna prepare him? -Obvioulsy not.

I'm sure Wilder could beat guys like Adamek, Wach, Dimitrenko, Zimnoch, Kevin Johnson, Glazkov, et al. His management needs to put some faith in their fighter and take the calculated gamble

Haha, just saw this Boxingscene story......

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer is looking to match Deontay Wilder (30-0, 30KOs) against Bermane Stiverne for the vacant WBC heavyweight title. Based on Vitali's recent announcement that he plans to be a candidate in the presidential elections in 2015, Schaefer believes Vitali will no longer fight and the belt will become vacant. Vitali has been inactive since late 2012. Stiverne (23-1-1, 20KOs) is the mandatory challenger to the title. After the fight with Stiverne, Schaefer wants to match Wilder against WBO/IBO/WBA/IBF champion Wladimir Klitschko.

“Deontay is right up there in the top two or three ratings in the WBC. With the news that we got last week, that Vitali Klitschko is going to be running for president of the Ukraine, I anticipate that he will no longer fight and that the title will become vacant. My goal is to have Deontay fight in his next fight for the WBC heavyweight championship against [Bermane] Stiverne. And after that go for Wladimir Klitschko, unify all the titles and then become the undisputed champion the world. That was the plan, that is the plan and I plan to do everything in my power to get it done,” Schaefer said.

[New England]

Haha, just saw this Boxingscene story......

they've been talking like that about wilder for years now. it's just publicity. every promotor does it. that's how you get a prospect fighting top 50ish guys talked about [and paid] like he's a contender.

the kid hardly knows how to box. schaeffer knows that. don't expect him in a world title fight any time soon. if he does get stivern, expect him to lose.


what you need with a HW like wilder is patience. he needs rounds and time. he spars some of the best HW in the world. he is getting better each fight, whether or not you like his matching. he's literally not even done filling out yet. i know that sounds crazy, but it's the truth. wilder will be stronger in two years.