WILD' RILED
WBC champ gunning for knockout
MIKE Tyson was 270 with 25 knockouts when he defeated Trevor Berbick in 1986 to win the heavyweight championship. By then, he was a national phenomenon because of his knockout prowess. In recent years, many in the boxing industry suggested what boxing needed was another hardpunching American heavyweight to come along with style and similar appeal.
Enter Deontay Wilder, the current WBC heavyweight champion from Tuscaloosa, Ala., who is 340 with 33 knockouts yet is struggling to earn a smidgen of the notoriety Tyson had achieved by the time he won the title. An impressive victory over Johann Duhaupas (322, 20 KOs) of France on Saturday night on NBC would help raise his profile .
Wilder will be making the second defense of the title he won with a unanimous decision over Bermane Stiverne in January. Last June, he stopped Eric Molina in the ninth round. But few outside boxing know of Wilder, although he has the kind of story that should encourage followers.
The 29yearold didn’t begin boxing until he was 21 and already a father of a baby girl. He went on to capture a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics, the last American male boxer to medal at the Olympics. Then he knocked out his first 32 opponents as a pro before winning the title by decision over Stiverne.
His fight against Duhaupas will take place in Birmingham, Ala., in another installment of the Premier Boxing Champions Series. It will be the first time in 30 years a heavyweight championship fight will be televised free in prime time, the last coming when Larry Holmes fought Carl Williams in 1985.
“I can’t wait to get this on, I can’t wait,” Wilder said. “I’m definitely an active champion. Once I became champion, I told people that I want to stay active and I’m looking forward to continuing being active in and outside of the ring as the champion, defending my belt as many times as possible.
“I don’t see myself being in this sport a very long period of time, so I want to fight as much as possible. I want to defend and put my title on the line as much as possible.”
Little is known about Duhaupas, who is making his first appearance in the United States, though he has fought in 10 different countries. He has never been knocked down or knocked out, something Wilder hopes to change.
“I want to continue with the knockout spree,” Wilder said, “but sometimes you get those guys that can take a punch and we’re going to see that — can Duhaupas take a punch?
“He’s never faced a guy of my caliber, with my speed, with my talent, with my IQ in the ring, with my power and we’re going to see how the fight plays out, but I definitely feel that I need a knockout in this fight.”
Wladimir Klitschko (643, 53 KOs) of Ukraine is considered the linear heavyweight champion, holding the WBO, WBA, IBF and IBO titles, and has owned some portion of the crown since 2006. He defends his titles against Tyson Fury (240, 18 KOs) of England on Oct. 24 in Germany. If Wilder can keep winning, a unification bout could come in late 2016.
“At this point in time, it’s all about Duhaupas,” Wilder said. “This is all about him. Everything else is in the future. Right now, this is the present. I can’t look past nobody else. We’ll have to see in the future, but right now, I’m worried about what’s in the present.”