Deontay Wilder & The Recent History of Other Heavyweight KO Sensations

Published

11 years ago

March 19, 2014

From the waist up he’s built as if he were the first man into the great gene pool, he’s got long and fast twitch muscle on top of muscle. From the waist down he’s extremely thin and has very spindly like legs. He’s 6’7″ and has an 84 inch reach and being only 28, so there’s a good chance he’ll add even more muscle onto his athletic frame. At least that’s been the case with most of the new era heavyweights who stood over 6’4″ and eventually fought for a version of the heavyweight title.

His name is Deontay Wilder and he is America’s latest hope to reclaim the heavyweight title, something that was almost a staple of heavyweight boxing until about 15 years ago. Wilder is undefeated in 31 pro bouts and hasn’t yet had to go the distance in any of them. He started boxing in 2005 and won a Bronze medal at the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008. He’s a boxer-puncher and has many observers hoping he turns out to be a heavyweight version of former five division champ Thomas Hearns, who unquestionably had dynamite in both hands and scored some of the most picturesque knockouts in boxing history. Nothing excites boxing fans like watching a legitimate heavyweight knockout artist demolishing top contenders on his way to the title. Since the Mike Tyson era or roughly the last 25 years, there’s been a handful of fighters who were promoted as once in a generation type punchers, Lennox Lewis, Tommy Morrison, David Tua, Wladimir Klitschko and Samuel Peter. I’m sure I’ve left a few out but the ones mentioned are the fighters who immediately stick out in my mind. Of the five, Lewis and Klitschko were the only big hitters who you could say were close to being a complete fighter/boxer, that being they could win by knockout or by out-boxing their opponent.

Tua was the biggest single shot puncher of the group but was out-boxed or out-worked in his biggest fights. Morrison had questionable stamina and was betrayed by his chin, like Lewis and Klitschko, a few times in big fights. Peter was a heavy handed crude fighter and that basically sums him up.

Of the five mentioned only Lewis and Klitschko went on to make a significant mark in the division and are hall of fame worthy fighters. Which pretty much suggests that to succeed and really make a mark in boxing, even as a heavyweight, a fighter driven by his punch and power alone, isn’t usually enough. And to this point Wilder isn’t blowing anybody away with his skills or refinement as a fighter. His power and punch have been enough to overcome the level of opposition he’s faced, and that has most observers trying to deduce whether or not that’ll be enough to carry him when he faces upper-tier opposition at the championship level.

As of this writing most of the questions asked about Wilder as a fighter center around his chin and what kind of a punch he takes? However, I think there’s more to question about Wilder than just his chin. For starters, I’m not totally sure about his power. Sure, he can hit and his right hand looks very legitimate, but I’m not sure it’s on the level of the fighters mentioned. By the time they were into their sixth year as a pro, based on their opposition, I didn’t have a morsel of a doubt that Lewis was a killer with his right hand and the same applied to Klitschko. After watching Tua and Morrison ice opponents with a single left-hook, was there the slightest doubt that they were once in a generation type bangers? No. Even Peter’s destruction of Jeremy Williams was more frightening and memorable than any knockout that Wilder has scored in 31 fights. And even though Morrison, Tua and Peter turned out to be the real deal in the power dept, they never really had much of a say regarding the heavyweight title. Morrison won the vacant WBO title versus an out of shape 44 year old George Foreman and lost it in his first defense versus Michael Bentt. Tua lost to Lewis in his only title shot and Peter won the WBC title against Oleg Maskaev, who hadn’t fought in nearly a year and a half and lost it to Vitali Klitschko who hadn’t fought in nearly four years in his first defense.

In addition to not being sold that Wilder is a genuine once in a generation puncher, the questions about his chin must be asked and eventually answered. And of course his stamina and durability have yet to be addressed. His jab looks formidable and despite scoring knockouts with his left hook versus low level opposition, we can’t say one way or the other just how much of a weapon it really is. He has good hand speed and isn’t afraid to let his hands go, but his offense, at least that I’ve seen is pretty vanilla and basic and lacks imagination.

Back in 1970 heavyweight contender Mac Foster compiled a record of 24-0 (24). At that time there were many followers and insiders who had the same questions about Foster, who built up his record feasting on journeymen and washed up contenders and former title holders the way Wilder has. In his first real test Foster fought Jerry Quarry with the understanding that if he could get by Jerry, he’d be heavyweight champ Joe Frazier’s next opponent. Quarry was a year removed from coming out on the wrong end of a seven round war with the undefeated Frazier. For three rounds Foster got the better of it against Quarry, then he got hit on the chin by some beautiful short hooks and right hands from Jerry in the fourth round. Foster made it to the sixth round and was counted out thus resurrecting Quarry’s career and earning him a shot at Muhammad Ali in his comeback bout four months later. Foster continued on after Quarry but never fought for the title.

History, at least going back to the seventies, is replete with heavyweights who built up a big undefeated record littered with impressive knockouts. Starting with George Foreman and up through Wladimir Klitschko, we’ve seen these type of fighters come along and the same questions, usually regarding their heart, chin and toughness were asked. There’s definitely a buzz going around about Deontay Wilder. But for some reason there’s an underlying feeling that something’s not quite legit about him. Usually, you get American fans frothing at the mouth over an undefeated American heavyweight with big power. But, with Wilder, you’re getting people asking a lot of questions, more so than there’s been about past fighters who were perceived as catch ‘n’ kill destroyers. Why is that? Foreman and Tyson fought a lot of the lower tier opposition that Wilder has faced on the way up, but for some reason they both looked like a safe bet to win the title and be around for a while, something I’m not comfortable saying about Wilder. And that was during an era when the division was much deeper. In Foreman’s case it was easy to see why he had a lot of support – because he won a Gold Medal at the 1968 Olympics and knocked out every opponent he faced but one. But Tyson, who was listed at 5’11” but was really only 5’10,” didn’t even make the 1984 Olympic team. Wilder made the US Olympic team and won a bronze medal, and he’s a giant with a pair of lats in his back that look like wings. Yet for some reason there’s more questions about him at nearly the same stage of his career than there were regarding Foreman, Tyson, Lewis, Morrison and Tua.

Those questions won’t be answered until Wilder finally fights a top-10 contender, just as it was the case with the previous American heavyweight knockout sensation Seth Mitchell when he stepped up and fought a legitimate contender in Chris Arreola. Mitchell didn’t make it out of the first round versus Arreola, hopefully Wilder will fare better when his moment of truth finally arrives. So we’ll just have to wait a little longer about what to make of Deontay Wilder the heavyweight destroyer. But rest assured we’ll soon get the answer because he will most likely face a real contender or title-holder in his next fight and nobody knocks everybody out, nobody.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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Emanuel Navarrete Survives a Bloody Battle with Charly Suarez in San Diego

Published

2 hours ago

May 11, 2025

David A. Avila

Emanuel-Navarrete-Survives-a-Bloody-Battle-with-Charly-Suarez-in-San-Diego

In a torrid battle Mexico’s Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and his staccato attack staved off the herky-jerky non-stop assaults of Philippine’s Charly Suarez to win by technical decision and retain the WBO super feather world title on Saturday.

What do they feed these guys?

Navarrete (40-2-1, 32 KOs) and his elongated arms managed to connect enough to compensate against the surprising Suarez (18-1, 10 KOs) who wowed the crowd at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

An accidental clash of heads opened a cut on the side of Navarrete’s left eye and forced a stoppage midway through the fight.

From the opening round Navarrete used his windmill style of attack with punches from different angles that caught Suarez multiple times early. It did not matter. Suarez fired back with impunity and was just as hungry to punch it out with the Mexican fighter.

It was savage.

Every time Navarrete connected solidly, he seemed to pause and check out the damage. Bad idea. Suarez would immediately counter with bombs of his own and surprise the champion with his resilience and tenacity.

Wherever they found Suarez they should look for more, because the Filipino fighter from Manila was ferocious and never out of his depth.

Around the sixth round the Mexican fighter seemed a little drained and puzzled at the tireless attacks coming from Suarez. During an exchange of blows a cut opened up on Navarrete and it was ruled an accidental clash of heads by the referee. Blood streamed down the side of Navarrete’s face and it was cleared by the ringside physician.

But at the opening of the eighth round, the fight was stopped and the ringside physician ruled the cut was too bad to continue. The California State Athletic Commission looked at tape of the round when the cut opened to decipher if it was an accidental butt or a punch that caused the cut. It was unclear so the referee’s call of accidental clash of heads stood as the final ruling.

Score cards from the judges saw Navarrete the winner by scores of 78-75, 77-76 twice. He retains the WBO title.

Interim IBF Lightweight Title

The sharp-shooting Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) maneuvered past Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (20-2, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision to win the interim IBF lightweight title after 12 rounds.

Both fighters were strategic in their approach with Muratalla switching from orthodox to southpaw at various times of the fight. Neither fighter was ever able to dominant any round.

Defense proved the difference between the two lightweights. Muratalla was able to slip more blows than Abdullaev and that proved the difference. The fighter from Fontana, California was able to pierce Abdullaev’s guard more often than not, especially with counter punches.

Abdullaev was never out of the fight. The Russian fighter was able to change tactics and counter the counters midway through the fight. It proved effective especially to the body. But it was not enough to offset Muratalla’s accuracy.

There were no knockdowns and after 12 rounds the judges scored it 118-110, 119-109 twice for Muratalla who now becomes the mandatory for the IBF lightweight title should Vasyl Lomachenko return to defend it.

Muratalla was brief.

“He was a tough fighter,” said Muratalla. “My defense is something I work on a lot.”

Perla Wins

Super flyweight Perla Bazaldua (2-0) eased past Mona Ward (0-2) with a polished display of fighting at length and inside.

Combination punching and defense allowed Bazaldua to punch in-between Ward’s attacks and force the St. Louis fighter to clinch repeatedly. But Ward hung in there despite taking a lot of blows. After four rounds the Los Angeles-based Bazaldua was scored the winner 40-36 on all three cards. Bazaldua signed a long term contract with Top Rank in March.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Late Bloomer Anthony Cacace TKOs Hometown Favorite Leigh Wood in Nottingham

Published

15 hours ago

May 10, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions was at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England, tonight with a card featuring hometown favorite Leigh Wood against Ireland’s Anthony “Apache” Cacace.

Wood, a former two-time WBA featherweight champion, known for dramatic comebacks in bouts he was losing, may have reached the end of the road at age 36. He had his moments tonight, rocking Cacace on several occasions and winning the eighth round, but he paid the price, returning to his corner after round eight with swelling around both of his eyes.

In the ninth, Cacace, an 11/5 favorite, hurt Wood twice with left hands, the second of which knocked Wood into the ropes, dictating a standing 8-count by referee John Latham. When the bout resumed, Cacace went for the kill and battered Wood around the ring, forcing Wood’s trainer Ben Davison to throw in the towel. The official time was 2:15 of round nine.

Akin to Wood, Northern Ireland’s Cacace (24-1, 9 KOs) is also 36 years old and known as a late bloomer. This was his ninth straight win going back to 2017 (he missed all of 2018 and 2020). He formerly held the IBF 130-pound world title, a diadem he won with a stoppage of then-undefeated and heavily favored Joe Cordina, but that belt wasn’t at stake tonight as Cacace abandoned it rather than fulfill his less-lucrative mandatory. Wood falls to 28-4.

Semi-Wind-Up

Nottingham light heavyweight Ezra Taylor, fighting in his hometown for the first time since pro debut, delighted his fan base with a comprehensive 10-round decision over previously undefeated Troy Jones. Taylor, who improved to 12-0 (9) won by scores of 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.

This was Taylor’s first fight with new trainer Malik Scott, best known for his work with Deontay Wilder. The victory may have earned him a match with Commonwealth title-holder Lewis Edmondson. Jones was 12-0 heading in.

Other Bouts of Note

In his first fight as a featherweight, Liam Davies rebounded from his first defeat with a 12-round unanimous decision over Northern Ireland’s previously undefeated Kurt Walker. Davies, who improved to 17-1 (8), staved off a late rally to prevail on scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111. It was the first pro loss for the 30-year-old Walker (12-1), a Tokyo Olympian.

In a mild upset, Owen Cooper, a saucy Worcestershire man, won a 10-round decision over former Josh Taylor stablemate Chris Kongo. The referee’s scorecard read 96-94.

Cooper improved to 11-1 (4). It was the third loss in 20 starts for Kongo.

A non-televised 8-rounder featured junior welterweight Sam Noakes in a stay-busy fight. A roofer by trade and the brother of British welterweight title-holder Sean Noakes, Sam improved to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a third-round stoppage of overmatched Czech import Patrik Balez (13-5-1).

Photo credit: Leigh Dawney / Queensberry

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 326: Top Rank and San Diego Smoke

Published

2 days ago

May 9, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 326: Top Rank and San Diego Smoke

Years ago, I worked at a newsstand in the Beverly Hills area. It was a 24-hour a day version and the people that dropped by were very colorful and unique.

One elderly woman Eva, who bordered on homeless but pridefully wore lipstick, would stop by the newsstand weekly to purchase a pack of menthol cigarettes. On one occasion, she asked if I had ever been to San Diego?

I answered “yes, many times.”

She countered “you need to watch out for San Diego Smoke.”

This Saturday, Top Rank brings its brand of prizefighting to San Diego or what could be called San Diego Smoke. Leading the fight card is Mexico’s Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) defending the WBO super feather title against undefeated Filipino Charly Suarez (18-0, 10 KOs) at Pechanga Arena. ESPN will televise.

This is Navarrete’s fourth defense of the super feather title.

The last time Navarrete stepped in the boxing ring he needed six rounds to dismantle the very capable Oscar Valdez in their rematch. One thing about Mexico City’s Navarrete is he always brings “the smoke.”

Also, on the same card is Fontana, California’s Raymond Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) vying for the interim IBF lightweight title against Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (20-1, 12 KOs) on the co-main event.

Abdullaev has only fought once before in the USA and was handily defeated by Devin Haney back in 2019. But that was six years ago and since then he has knocked off various contenders.

Muratalla is a slick fighting lightweight who trains at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy now in Moreno Valley, Calif. It’s a virtual boot camp with many of the top fighters on the West Coast available to spar on a daily basis. If you need someone bigger or smaller, stronger or faster someone can match those needs.

When you have that kind of preparation available, it’s tough to beat. Still, you have to fight the fight. You never know what can happen inside the prize ring.

Another fighter to watch is Perla Bazaldua, 19, a young and very talented female fighter out of the Los Angeles area. She is trained by Manny Robles who is building a small army of top female fighters.

Bazaldua (1-0, 1 KO) meets Mona Ward (0-1) in a super flyweight match on the preliminary portion of the Top Rank card. Top Rank does not sign many female fighters so you know that they believe in her talent.

Others on the Top Rank card in San Diego include Giovani Santillan, Andres Cortes, Albert Gonzalez, Sebastian Gonzalez and others.

They all will bring a lot of smoke to San Diego.

Probox TV

A strong card led by Erickson “The Hammer” Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs) facing Ardreal Holmes Jr. (17-0, 6 KOs) in a super welterweight clash between southpaws takes place on Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Florida. PROBOX TV will stream the fight card.

Ardreal has rocketed up the standings and now faces veteran Lubin whose only losses came against world titlists Sebastian Fundora and Jermell Charlo. It’s a great match to decide who deserves a world title fight next.

Another juicy match pits Argentina’s Nazarena Romero (14-0-2) against Mexico’s Mayelli Flores (12-1-1) in a female super bantamweight contest.

Nottingham, England

Anthony Cacace (23-1, 8 KOs) defends the IBO super featherweight title against Leigh Wood (28-3, 17 KOs) in Wood’s hometown on Saturday at Nottingham Arena in Nottingham, England. DAZN will stream the Queensberry Promotions card.

Ireland’s Cacace seems to have the odds against him. But he is no stranger to dancing in the enemy’s lair or on foreign territory. He formerly defeated Josh Warrington in London and Joe Cordina in Riyadh in IBO title defenses.

Lampley at Wild Card

Boxing telecaster Jim Lampley will be signing his new book It Happened! at the Wild Card Boxing gym in Hollywood, Calif. on Saturday, May 10, beginning at 2 p.m. Lampley has been a large part of many of the greatest boxing events in the past 40 years. He and Freddie Roach will be at the signing.

Fights to Watch (All times Pacific Time)

Sat. DAZN 11 a.m. Anthony Cacace (23-1) vs Leigh Wood (28-3).

Sat. PROBOX.tv 3 p.m. Erickson Lubin (26-2) vs Ardreal Holmes Jr. (17-0).

Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1) vs Charly Suarez (18-0); Raymond Muratalla (22-0) vs Zaur Abdullaev (20-1).

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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