Photo Credit: Ryan Hafey/ Premier Boxing Champions
WBC heavyweight titlist Deontay Wilder used a sneaky right hand to erase a growing deficit and score a come from behind knockout of Gerald Washington.
The prevailing narrative before last night was that Washington, a former football player with limited experience at the elite level, wouldn’t be able to hang with a nine-year veteran like Wilder. But for the majority of the five rounds this lasted, it was Wilder who look indecisive and unable to deal with Washington’s offense. Washington outboxed Wilder by pushing him back with jabs and landing short power shots before clinches. The strategy had Wilder reluctant to get off first and dropping the first four rounds.
Lucky for Wilder, his immense power remains the equalizer. One short right hand dumped Washington on the canvas. He beat the count and was hit with a few more clean shots to force a debatable stoppage.
This was Wilder’s comeback fight from right hand and bicep surgery, so he’s entitled to a pass. However, there should be no more wasted time against no-hopers. Nine years in and having a competitive record comparable to Anthony Joshua is not a good look. The alleged plan of unifying with WBO titlist Joseph Parker and then against the winner of Klitschko-Joshua needs to be executed with no excuses.
WBC heavyweight titlist Deontay Wilder met with the media today in NYC to promote his February 25 title defense against undefeated prospect Gerald Washington. Wilder spoke on a myriad of topics that included Washington’s chances, last year’s dominant KO wins over Artur Szpilka and Chris Arreola, and the desire for a big unification matchup before year’s end.
Wilder vs. Washington airs live February 25 at 8 p.m. on Fox.
There are a lot of heavyweights who say they want me, but at the end of the day, do they really want this? Everybody knows that Deontay Wilder comes with power.
I fight for the people, that’s what I’m all about. I like to give the fans a great fight at a reasonable price. Each fight I’m in I’m always exciting and well-prepared. I come to give people what they want to see when they see a heavyweight, and that’s a knockout.
Gerald Washington is a big guy I’ve seen fight a few times. I don’t think he’s ready to fight me, but he thinks he is. We’ll find out on February 25. I chose him because he’s always been respectful while always wanting the opportunity. He’s going to come ready to fight.
My preparation stays the same, even with the opponent change. I’ve been in situations where I’ve had to change a lot after an opponent dropped out, but Gerald being as good as he is and similar to Wawrzyk makes it easier. They have different styles but we’ll work on how to break him down.
When I knocked out Artur Szpilka, I thought he was dead for a few seconds. That’s just from natural, Alabama country power.
I’m still training while I’m here in New York. I have Mark Breland here with me helping me get a lot of good work in. I’m staying focused. When February 25 comes, I’ll be ready.
I definitely feel 100 percent, but we’ll see what it’s going to feel like in the ring when I apply this force to a human skull. When I’m in the gym doing work, I feel great.
I never really let my hand properly heal until this injury, because the bicep takes longer to heal than the hand. The time gave me an opportunity to really improve my left hand. I feel more polished now than I’ve ever been.
You have to have patience in this sport. The big fights that people want to see will be coming. I’m not scared of anyone and I won’t run for anyone. My team is on the same page and we’re going to keep working together and moving forward.
It’s all about adjusting. Each and every time I go through something inside or outside of the ring, it just makes me better and better.
Chris Arreola’s style was perfect for mine. Even with the injuries that I was suffering, I could still get the job done. I also had to fight through the injuries with Stiverne, because I hurt my hand in the third round of that fight. Being able to have these experiences has made my confidence even higher.
The May 21 title match between Alexander Povetkin and champion Deontay Wilder has been officially postponed due to Povetkin’s prefight drug test for the banned substance melodium, the WBC announced today.
The sanctioning body released the following statement:
The World Boxing Council is diligently addressing the positive test result from the Clean Boxing Program for mandatory heavyweight challenger Alexander Povetkin. Keeping the priority of safety and also the principle of justice, the WBC will continue the investigation into the case. Consequently, the event scheduled for May 21 in Moscow is hereby officially postponed.
The WBC will be releasing more information in the coming days regarding the final ruling on the matter.
Melodium, which reportedly assists athletes with endurance, became a banned substance by the World Anti Doping Agency in January. Povetkin’s camp argued the fighter stopped taking the substance in September and blamed the positive test on trace elements remaining in his system. However, reporter Gabriel Montoya confirmed Povetkin had negative results on April 7, 8 and 11 before testing positive on April 27.
At press time, Wilder’s camp has not announced plans for a replacement date nor an opponent.
This was the only logical outcome for this situation. Yes, most boxing fans are extremely disappointed. This is a matchup between two high-level heavyweights that have been knocking out all their recent competition. It was Povetkin’s chance to finally win a world title, and Wilder’s moment to finally silence all naysayers on whether he truly belongs at the elite level.
The entire blame falls squarely on the shoulders of Povetkin. His excuse is weak and his actions disgraceful. A postponement is a slap on the wrist — a fine and suspension is the example that should be set. As long as the penalties remain flimsy, fighters will keep trying their luck with performance enhancing drugs.
If the penalties for cheating are not severe in a sport built on physical punishment, why even have testing in the first place?
As for Wilder, the next ranked opponent in line is Bermane Stiverne at #2, who Wilder soundly defeated for the title, and Kubrat Pulev at #3, who just beat Dereck Chisora by split decision a few days ago. Here is the rest of the list:
1 .- Alexander Povetkin (Russia) 2 .- Bermane Stiverne (Haiti/Canada)
3 .- Kubrat Pulev (Bulgaria) EBU 4 .- Johann Duhaupas (France) SILVER
5 .- Carlos Takam (Cameroon)
6 .- Joseph Parker (New Zealand) OPBF
7 .- Andy Ruiz (Mexico) NABF
8 .- David Haye (GB)
9 .- Bryant Jennings (US) 10 .- Malik Scott (US) 11 .- Artur Szpilka (Poland) 12 .- Eric Molina (US)
13 .- Dereck Chisora (GB)
14 .- Ruslan Chagaev (Uzbekistan/Germany)
15 .- Gerald Washington (US)
The highlighted names are guys Wilder has already defeated. Pulev is likely first in line since it’s a fresh matchup and he’s coming off a high-profile win. If Wilder’s camp passes on Stiverne and Pulev, then it gets interesting. Carlos Takam and Joseph Parker have a fight scheduled and Andy Ruiz is a Top Rank fighter. David Haye would be a solid option, but the Hayemaker is rumored to be facing Shannon Briggs later this year and is likely eyeing an Anthony Joshua showdown afterward.
That leaves Bryant Jennings, who hasn’t fought since being KO’d by Luis Ortiz in December, Ruslan Chagaev, who had his KO loss to Lucas Browne overturned due to another failed test, and fellow PBC fighter Gerald Washington (who won a pedestrian decision over Eddie Chambers last month).
Because Washington is a in-house fighter and doesn’t appear to have a high-ceiling, it’s conceivable that he gets fed to Wilder. Jennings would be the better matchup, but I’m not sure if Jennings fancies such a difficult fight coming off a layoff and KO defeat.
BROOKLYN — Deontay Wilder ended his third WBC title defense in chilling fashion with a one-punch, ninth knockout over Artur Szpilka at the Barclays Center.
What was predicted to be an easy defense quickly became a spirited contest with Szpilka relying on movement and body punching to keep Wilder off balance and swinging wildly. When Wilder used his 83 inch reach to fire off jabs, he kept Szpilka at bay and on the end of hard straight rights. But Szpilka’s southpaw stance coupled with awkward right counters and overhand lefts presented constant challenges.
“He was definitely a crafty guy,” said Wilder. “I haven’t competed against a southpaw in three years. He was a tough competitor, but you’re fighting for a world title. It’s not supposed to be easy. I’m surprised it took that long, but we had 12 rounds and they can’t all can’t be pretty.”
The knockout blow came with Szpilka lunging in with a left hook and being caught right on the chin with a counter right hand.
Szpilka was unconscious before he hit the canvas.
He remained on the canvas for several minutes but was responsive to medical staff. He was later transported to Lutheran Hospital.
“He’s doing good,” said Szpilka’s trainer Ronnie Shields. “He’s awake and knows exactly where he is. He didn’t want to go to the hospital, but he’s going as a precaution. It’s better safe than sorry.”
Wilder kept his post-fight celebrating in check after seeing Szpilka’s condition and offered words of encouragement.
“I told him he was a great contender,” Wilder said. “He came to give his all. He gave his all for Brooklyn. I always say two prayers. I say a team prayer and I say an individual prayer. I don’t want to hurt a man so he can’t go home to his family. We risk our lives every time we step in the ring. He’s definitely in my prayers and I hope he’s doing well.”
TITLE UNIFICATION?: Lineal and WBA heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who was ringside, confronted Wilder during the post-fight interview. Both men were nose to nose and berated each other until Fury upped the theatrics by pacing the ring and throwing off his jacket. Wilder emphasized that he would love to unify and that Fury was a “clown” who thinks he’s in “wrestling.” Fury took a dig at Wilder’s competition, calling him “Bum Squad.”
MARTIN WINS IBF TITLE ON FREAK INJURY: On the undercard, Charles Martin won the vacant IBF title after Vyacheslav Glazkov could not continue following an injury to his right knee. In the third, Glazkov slipped and appeared to have discomfort when he rose to his feet. Later in the round, he tried to plant for a shot and collapsed when his knee buckled. Martin was getting the better of the brief exchanges before Glazkov had to retire.
“I want to unify the titles,” Martin said. “We didn’t even fight tonight. I want another fighter. I want Tyson Fury.”
In celebration of their free preview weekend, Showtime Sports is offering a live stream of Saturday’s WBC heavyweight championship match between title-holder Deontay Wilder and Artur Szpilka. The co main-event features another title bout in Charles Martin and Vyacheslav Glazkov competing for the vacant IBF strap.
Photo Credit: Lucas Noonan/Premier Boxing Champions
Klitschko and I have sparred before. I’m the younger guy and the more time that goes by, that’s an advantage for me. Each and every fight, I prove a little bit more about what people don’t know about me. – Deontay Wilder
BIRMINGHAM, AL — Deontay Wilder successfully defended his WBC heavyweight strap last night with a bloody and bruising 11th round stoppage win over a surprisingly durable Johann Duhaupas.
Although Wilder was never in danger of losing (winning every round), Duhaupas was able to put a large mouse under the titlist’s left eye and test his endurance with constant pressure. Wilder satisfied his fellow Alabamans with another dramatic stoppage, but questions remain about how long he can hold onto that belt.
THE GOOD: When Wilder works that long jab (83′ reach), it leaves most opponent in a dangerous “no man’s land” where Wilder can safely rain home hard right hands. Any attempts to counter from outside after futile since the Bronze Bomber can see them coming and move straight back with little consequences. This strategy opened a cut along Duhaupus’ nose and put swelling under his left eye.
Wilder is clearly not comfortable fighting inside, but he showed a new wrinkle to his game by occasionally fighting well in the pocket. He found success with hard uppercuts through Duhaupus’ high guard, and tightened up his usually looping hooks to whip them around the challenger’s gloves.
The 11th round knockout was the latest Wilder has ever stopped an opponent, eclipsing the 9th round TKO of Eric Molina in June. This is a solid indicator that Wilder can keep his power in the championship round despite a high pace.
THE BAD: Wilder took a lot of punishment from a guy no one would rank in the Top 20. Duhaupas is a light puncher (59% KO), but he landed enough power shots to shut Wilder’s left eye and make him bleed. He constantly breached Wilder’s long range and forced the champ to cover up to avoid the onslaught of hooks.
When Duhaupus got inside, he sometimes hesitated. This could be due to concern for Wilder’s power, or just not having the skill to fight well in the trenches. Wilder’s WBC mandatory, Alexander Povetkin, has no such problems. The Russian works the body well and delivers devastating power to whoever stands in front of him (ask Mike Perez). Wilder pulling straight back on Povetkin is a death sentence.
Yes, you could argue Wilder fought sloppy because he knew that his opponent was not a serious threat. The problem is instead of his competition increasing since winning the title, it’s gotten worse. This creates bad habits that can’t simply be reversed fight to fight. And if Wilder does squeeze in another bout before facing Povetkin, you can be assured it’ll be against another weak fighter. How does that help Wilder’s development or get him ready for a Top 5 heavyweight?
THE UGLY: The co-feature of Dominic Breazeale vs. Fred Kassi goes down as one of the worst decisions you’ll see all year. The 6’7 Breazeale towered over Kassi, and early on found success working the body and landing a few right hands. However, Kassi controlled the bout from the fifth round on, countering Breazeale off the backfoot and neutralizing his offense with upper body movement.
In the late rounds, Kassi was landing the cleaner and harder shots, but Breazeale kept up a higher workrate. For those reasons, I anticipated two close scores and one wide for Breazeale, since he’s a PBC house fighter. Instead, we got three poor scores that got more ridiculous as the announcer went on: 97-93, 98-92 and 100-90.
Coming off the “draw” with Chris Arreola a few months back, you have to feel for Kassi.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — WBC heavyweight titlist Deontay Wilder and challenger Johann Duhaupus completed their weigh-in earlier today at the Legacy Arena. The champion tipped the scales at 228.6 while Duhaupus came in at 236 even.
PREDICTION: Never heard of Dupauhas? That’s exactly why he was chosen. Wilder will be facing a stern test next year against mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin. For that reason alone, Wilder was not going to take a serious risk beforehand. The slow ticket sales (6500 as of today for a 13,000+ arena) is another indicator of how fans, even in Wilder’s backyard, are viewing this matchup.
Despite his 6’5 frame, Dupauhus is a relatively light puncher (59% KO), has slow hands and is at a reach disadvantage. Wilder long right should land at will from the outside. Anything outside of a easy night’s work for the Bronze Bomber would be shocking. WILDER EARLY KO
BREAZEALE (258) VS. KASSI (222.6): Fred Kassi had an exciting war against Chris Arreola in July. Although that ended in a disputed draw, Kassi gets another PBC date against prospect Dominic Breazeale. Kassi normally starts fast, but that also means his fades fairly quickly. And unlike Arreola, Breazeale’s better days are in front of him, BREAZEALE TKO6
