WATCHING WILDER Heavyweight Punching Sensations & How They Fared

Published

10 years ago

January 6, 2015

With the upcoming WBC heavyweight title clash between title holder Bermane Stiverne 24-1-1 (21) and challenger Deontay Wilder 32-0 (32) beginning to garner a lot of attention, because of Wilder’s 100% KO ratio, I thought I’d take a look at some other hyped heavyweight punching sensations who made their pro debut in the late 1960s and later, excluding former undisputed champ George Foreman. I’m excluding Foreman because he turned out to be more than a once in a generation puncher. Foreman really was a once in a lifetime puncher, and perhaps the strongest and most powerful heavyweight of the 19th and 20th centuries. The list below is comprised of the fighters who were really, really hyped as being genuine life-takers. And with the exception of two, the others turned out to be the genuine article.

I didn’t include big punchers the likes of Jeff “Candy Slim” Merritt, Al “Blue” Lewis, Gerrie Coetzee, Mike Weaver, Bonecrusher Smith, Frank Bruno, Ray Mercer and Bert Cooper. And the reason for that is, despite all of them being legit with their power, they were never promoted and hyped to the extent that the fighters below were.

The 10 fighters listed below all received the media hysteria, and then some. This is the type of hype that Deontay Wilder is the benefactor of today.

Mac Foster: Made his pro debut on 11/28/66 and retired with a career record of 30-6 (30). Foster never fought for the title because the gatekeepers during the early 1970s were really tough and he stumbled in his biggest opportunity. At the zenith of Mac’s career he sported a record of 24-0 (24) and then was KO’d by Jerry Quarry in the sixth round in his first real test. Historically, Foster is remembered as being a pretty good puncher who didn’t bring much else to the ring. Definitely not the life-taker he was built up to be, but he was a good puncher among his contemporaries.

Earnie Shavers: Made his pro debut on 11/6/69 and retired with a career record of 74-14-1 (68). Shavers went on to fight for the heavyweight title twice, against Muhammad Ali in 1977 and Larry Holmes in 1979. Earnie hit Ali with some of the hardest shots he was ever caught with, and he was two seconds away from scoring a seventh round one-punch knockout over Holmes in their title bout. Historically, Shavers is considered to be one of the hardest two-handed punchers in boxing history. Both Ali and Holmes have said repeatedly that Shavers was the biggest puncher they ever fought. However, his stamina and delivery system were flawed and that held him back from becoming a great fighter.

Ron Lyle: Made his pro debut on 4/23/71 and retired with a career record of 43-7-1 (31). Like Foster and Shavers, Lyle lost to Quarry in his first high profile bout, the difference being Lyle lost by decision and wasn’t stopped. Lyle could hit with both hands and was a dangerous boxer-puncher, who could also fight inside. He fought for the title once and was stopped in the 11th round by Muhammad Ali. Lyle scored a sixth round knockout over Shavers, and in a pier-six brawl a year later had George Foreman down twice in their 1976 bout. In fact, no other fighter hurt Foreman during his career as badly as Lyle did before he was ultimately stopped by George. Lyle was a legitimate big puncher who could throw every punch in the book. He was fundamentally better than Shavers and had a better chin, but Earnie had the heavier hands.

Gerry Cooney: Made his pro debut on 2/15/77 and retired with a career record of 28-3 (24). Cooney was hyped as the boy-next-door white hope who could really punch. Cooney destroyed a washed up Ron Lyle and Ken Norton, both in one round. He was tall and had a debilitating left hook and was an underrated boxer. He gave Larry Holmes, when he was in his prime, a tough fight before running out of gas and taking too many punches, which led to his demise in the 13th round. Cooney for personal reasons outside of the ring never reached his potential as a fighter, but his power was legit and worthy of the hype it generated. This notion is something Larry Holmes has repeatedly endorsed over the last 30 years.

Mike Tyson: Made his pro debut on 3/6/85 and retired with a career record of 50-6 (44). Tyson was hyped and marketed better than any fighter in history. Mike was a rare blend of speed, power and accuracy. He used his short arms and stature to set up his finishing combinations and shots once inside. Tyson is the youngest fighter in history to win the heavyweight title, at age 20. His power and speed made him one of the most feared fighters of his era. He could hit with both hands, but unlike Foster and Shavers, he always delivered his power regardless of the opponent. Tyson lived up to the hype and was the real deal. He was much more than just a big puncher.

Tommy Morrison: Made his pro debut on 10/11/88 and retired with a career record of 48-3-1 (42). Morrison had a lot of hype behind him, like Cooney, and like Gerry, his Sunday punch was his left hook. Morrison scored some picturesque KOs on the way up and did capture the WBO heavyweight title. However, when he met the upper tier opponents of his era, his chin and stamina turned out to be a bigger liability than his power was an asset. Stand there and let him hit you, you’re in trouble. Like Cooney and Shavers he was easy to hit and seldom came back to win once he was hurt or in trouble. That said, his power was for real.. but he wasn’t a great fighter.

Lennox Lewis: Made his pro debut on 6/27/89 and retired with a career record of 41-2-1 (32). Lennox was a tall heavyweight who could box and punch. He could fight as the attacker or he could step back and counter. He had a terrific jab and uppercut and he could end the fight with a single right hand. Lennox fought a lot of big punchers during his era and never met a fighter he couldn’t beat. His power was for real and his delivery system was exceptional. Like Tyson, Lennox is considered one of the all-time greats, and it’s not just because he could punch. Historically, Lewis probably exceeded his expectations.

David Tua: Made his pro debut on 1/12/92 and retired with a career record of 52-5-2 (43). Tua scored one of the most frightening knockouts ever when he stopped future title holder John Ruiz in 19 seconds. Tua, had two handed power and possessed a cast iron chin. He was short and compact like Tyson. When it came to single shot knockout power, Tua was more dangerous and a bigger puncher than Tyson. However, he wasn’t as fast or accurate. In his only title shot he was dominated by Lennox Lewis and lost by decision. Sadly, he never got near enough to Lennox to catch him good and was easily out boxed by him. Tua is no doubt one of the biggest punchers in heavyweight history, but is seen historically as an under-achiever. His power was authentic and real, but he wasn’t a great fighter because of his poor delivery and accuracy.

Wladimir Klitschko: Made his pro debut on 11/16/96 and is currently 63-3 (53). Wladimir is still in the midst of his career. Due to his reach and size he most resembles Lewis. Klitschko has a great left hook and his right hand has fight-ending power. He doesn’t like to fight inside and isn’t that good at it. He is best fighting at mid range and outside. He enters the ring with trepidation because he was stopped during the first few years of his career. However, he has learned how to use his size and now fights big. He looks as if he can hold the title almost as long as he wants to, and he is most definitely the hardest punching heavyweight in the world today. As it stands right now, Wladimir Klitschko has lived up to the expectations that were placed upon him when he turned pro.

Samuel Peter: Turned pro on 6/2/01 and retired with a career record of 34-5 (27). Peter was hyped to be the next Tua, but as a puncher and fighter he was no Tua. Peter was a crude, wild swinging banger with no game plan and couldn’t box. He didn’t have the greatest chin, and for him to land cleanly, he needed his opponents to stand right in front of him and then dare him to hit them. Based on the early hype that surrounded him, he didn’t come close to matching the hype as a puncher or a fighter.

The 10 fighters above were really hyped on their way to the big-time and were billed as being once in a generation punchers. Most of them lived up to their expectations but never blossomed into being great fighters, with the exception of Lewis and Tyson. They didn’t flourish like that because of other shortcomings in their game, as some couldn’t box and therefore didn’t always deliver their power, and/or some lacked a great chin and the stamina needed at the highest level in professional boxing.

Now the boxing world awaits for Deontay Wilder to show if he’s the real deal and if his perfect record of scoring all knockouts in his 32 bouts is authentic, or if he is just a product of great maneuvering and match-making. One thing is for sure–all big punchers are susceptible to being hit. And Wilder has been chin checked during a few of his early fights and as an amateur. So we have questions about his durability and power, at least I do.

Down the road someone will do a list like this and Wilder’s name will be under Samuel Peter. Only then we’ll have the wisdom of time to find out if he was more Lennox Lewis or Samuel Peter. The only thing we know right now is….if you say you know, you really don’t, you’re just guessing. Most likely we’ll have a better idea as to whether Deontay Wilder is the genuine article on January 18, 2015.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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Skylar Lacy Blocked for Lamar Jackson before Making his Mark in Boxing

Published

20 hours ago

January 19, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Skylar-Lacy-Blocked-for-Lamar-Jackson-Before-Making-his-Mark-in-Boxing

Skylar Lacy, a six-foot-seven heavyweight, returns to the ring on Sunday, Feb. 2, opposing Brandon Moore on a card in Flint, Michigan, airing worldwide on DAZN.

As this is being written, the bookmakers hadn’t yet posted a line on the bout, but one couldn’t be accused of false coloring by calling the 10-round contest a 50/50 fight. And if his frustrating history is any guide, Lacy will have another draw appended to his record or come out on the wrong side of a split decision.

This should not be construed as a tip to wager on Moore. “Close fights just don’t seem to go my way,” says the boxer who played alongside future multi-year NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at the University of Louisville.

A 2021 National Golden Gloves champion, Skylar Lacy came up short in his final amateur bout, losing a split decision to future U.S. Olympian Joshua Edwards. His last Team Combat League assignment resulted in another loss by split decision and he was held to a draw in both instances when stepping up in class as a pro. “In my mind, I’m still undefeated,” says Lacy (8-0-2, 6 KOs). “No one has ever kicked my ass.”

Lacy was the B-side in both of those draws, the first coming in a 6-rounder against Top Rank fighter Antonio Mireles on a Top Rank show in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and the second in an 8-rounder against George Arias, a Lou DiBella fighter on a DiBella-promoted card in Philadelphia.

Lacy had the Mireles fight in hand when he faded in the homestretch. The altitude was a factor. Lake Tahoe, Nevada (officially Stateline) sits 6,225 feet above sea level. The fight with Arias took an opposite tack. Lacy came on strong after a slow start to stave off defeat.

Skylar will be the B-side once again in Michigan. The card’s promoter, former world title challenger Dmitriy Salita, inked Brandon Moore (16-1, 10 KOs) in January. “A capable American heavyweight with charisma, athleticism and skills is rare in today’s day and age. Brandon has got all these ingredients…”, said Salita in the press release announcing the signing. (Salita has an option on Skylar Lacy’s next pro fight in the event that Skylar should win, but the promoter has a larger investment in Moore who was previously signed to Top Rank, a multi-fight deal that evaporated after only one fight.)

Both Lacy and Moore excelled in other sports. The six-foot-six Moore was an outstanding basketball player in high school in Fort Lauderdale and at the NAIA level in college. Lacy was an all-state football lineman in Indiana before going on to the University of Louisville where he started as an offensive guard as a redshirt sophomore, blocking for freshman phenom Lamar Jackson. “Lamar was hard-working and humble,” says Lacy about the player who is now one of the world’s highest-paid professional athletes.

When Lacy committed to Louisville, the head coach was Charlie Strong who went on to become the head coach at the University of Texas. Lacy was never comfortable with Strong’s successor Bobby Petrino and transferred to San Jose State. Having earned his degree in only three years (a BA in communications) he was eligible immediately but never played a down because of injuries.

Returning to Indianapolis where he was raised by his truck dispatcher father, a single parent, Lacy gravitated to Pat McPherson’s IBG (Indy Boxing and Grappling) Gym on the city’s east side where he was the rare college graduate pounding the bags alongside at-risk kids from the city’s poorer neighborhoods.

Lacy built a 12-6 record across his two seasons in Team Combat League while representing the Las Vegas Hustle (2023) and the Boston Butchers (2024).

For the uninitiated, a Team Combat League (TCL) event typically consists of 24 fights, each consisting of one three-minute round. The concept finds no favor with traditionalists, but Lacy is a fan. It’s an incentive for professional boxers to keep in shape between bouts without disturbing their professional record and, notes Lacy, it’s useful in exposing a competitor to different styles.

“It paid the bills and kept me from just sitting around the house,” says Lacy whose 12-6 record was forged against 13 different opponents.

As a sparring partner, Lacy has shared the ring with some of the top heavyweights of his generation, e.g., Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He was one of Fury’s regular sparring partners during the Gypsy King’s trilogy with Deontay Wilder. He worked with Joshua at Derrick James’ gym in Dallas and at Ben Davison’s gym in England, helping Joshua prepare for his date in Saudi Arabia with Francis Ngannou and had previously sparred with Ngannou at the UFC Performance Center in Las Vegas. Skylar names traveling to new places as one of his hobbies and he got to scratch that itch when he joined Whyte’s camp in Portugal.

As to the hardest puncher he ever faced, he has no hesitation: “Ngannou,” he says. “I negotiated a nice price to spend a week in his camp and the first time he hit me I knew I should have asked for more.”

Lacy is confident that having shared the ring with some of the sport’s elite heavyweights will get him over the hump in what will be his first 10-rounder (Brandon Moore has never had to fight beyond eight rounds, having won his three 10-rounders inside the distance). Lacy vs. Moore is the co-feature to Claressa Shields’ homecoming fight with Danielle Perkins. Shields, basking in the favorable reviews accorded the big-screen biopic based on her first Olympic journey (“The Fire Inside”) will attempt to capture a title in yet another weight class at the expense of the 42-year-old Perkins, a former professional basketball player.

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Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce

Published

3 days ago

January 18, 2025

David A. Avila

Mizuki-Hiruta-Dominates-in-her-U.S.-Debut-and-Trinidad-Wins-Too-at-Commerce

Japan’s Mizuki Hiruta smashed through Mexico’s Maribel Ramirez with ease in winning by technical decision and local hero Omar Trinidad continued his assault on the featherweight division on Friday.

Hiruta (7-0, 2 KOs), who prefers to be called “Mimi,” made her American debut with an impressive performance against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez (15-11-4) and retained the WBO super flyweight world title by unanimous decision at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

The pink-haired Japanese southpaw champion quickly proved to be quicker, stronger and even better than advertised. In the opening round Ramirez landed on the floor twice after throwing errant blows. On one instance, it could have been ruled a knockdown but it was not a convincing blow.

In the second round, Ramirez again attacked and again was met with a Hiruta check right hook and down went the Mexican. This time referee Ray Corona gave the eight-count and the fight resumed.

It was Hiruta’s third title defense but this time it was on American soil. She seemed nervous by the prospect of getting a favorable review from the more than 700 fans inside the casino tent.

For more than a year Hiruta has been training off and on with Manny Robles in the L.A. area. Now that she has a visa, she has spent considerable time this year learning the tricks of the trade. They proved explosively effective.

Though Mexico City’s Ramirez has considerable experience against world champions, she discovered that Hiruta was not easy to hit. Often, the Japanese champion would slip and counter with precision.

It was an impressive American debut, though the fight was stopped in the eighth round after a collision of heads. The scores were tallied and all three saw Hiruta the winner by scores of 80-71 twice and 79-72.

“I’m so happy. I could have done much more,” said Hiruta through interpreter Yuriko Miyata. “I wanted to do more things that Manny Robles taught me.”

Trinidad Wins Too

Omar Trinidad (18-0-1, 13 KOs) discovered that challenger Mike Plania (31-5, 18 KOs) has a very good chin and staying power. But over 10 rounds Trinidad proved to be too fast and too busy for the Filipino challenger.

Immediately it was evident that the East L.A. featherweight was too quick and too busy for Plania who preferred a counter-puncher attack that never worked.

“He was strong,” said Trinidad. “He took everything.”

After 10 redundant rounds all three judges scored for Trinidad 100-90 twice and 99-91. He retains the WBC Continental Americas title.

Other Bouts

Ali Akhmedov (23-1, 17 KOs) blasted out Malcolm Jones (17-5-1) in less than two rounds. A dozen punches by Akhmedov forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the super middleweight fight.

Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco (3-0) bloodied Lindsey Ellis in the first round and continued the speedy assault in the next two rounds. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the fight in favor of Verduzco at 1:34 of the third round.

Gloria Munguilla (7-1) and Brook Sibrian (5-2) lit up the boxing ring with a nonstop clash for eight rounds in their light flyweight fight. Munguilla proved effective with a slip-and-counter attack. Sibrian adjusted and made the fight closer in the last four rounds but all three judges favored Munguilla.

More Winners

Joshua Anton, Tayden Beltran, Adan Palma, and Alexander Gueche all won their bouts.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Published

4 days ago

January 16, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Best wishes to the survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires that took place last week and are still ongoing in small locales.

Most of the heavy damage took place in the western part of L.A. near the ocean due to Santa Ana winds. Another very hot spot was in Altadena just north of the Rose Bowl. It was a horrific tragedy.

Hopefully the worst is over.

Pro boxing returns with 360 Boxing Promotions spotlighting East L.A.’s Omar Trinidad (17-0-1, 13 KOs) defending a regional featherweight title against Mike Plania (31-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

“I’m the king of L.A. boxing and I’ll be ready to put on a show headlining again in the main event. This is my year, I’m ready to challenge and defeat any of the featherweight world champions,” said Trinidad.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the Hollywood Night fight card that includes a female world championship fight and other intriguing match-ups.

Tom Loeffler heads 360 Promotions and once again comes full force with a hot prospect in Trinidad. If you’re not familiar with Loeffler’s history of success, he introduced America to Oleksandr Usyk, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and the brothers Wladimir and Vitaly Kltischko.

“We’ve got a wealth of international talent and local favorites to kick off our 2025 in grand style,” said Loeffler.

He knows talent.

Trinidad hails from the Boyle Heights area of East L.A. near the Los Angeles riverbed. Several fighters from the past came from that exact area including the first Golden Boy, Art Aragon.

Aragon was a huge gate attraction during the late 1940s until 1960. He was known as a lady’s man and dated several Hollywood starlets in his time. Though he never won a world title he did fight world champions Carmen Basilio, Jimmy Carter and Lauro Salas. He was more or less the king of the Olympic Auditorium and Los Angeles boxing during his career.

Other famous boxers from the Boyle Heights area were notorious gangster Mickey Cohen and former world champion Joey Olivo.

Can Trinidad reach world title status?

Facing Trinidad will be Filipino fighter Plania who’s knocked off a couple of prospects during his career including Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer and Giovanni Gutierrez. The fighter from General Santos in the Philippines can crack and hold his own in the boxing ring.

It’s a very strong fight card and includes WBO world titlist Mizuki Hiruta of Japan who defends the super flyweight title against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez. It’s a tough matchup for Hiruta who makes her American debut. You can’t miss her with that pink hair and she has all the physical tools to make a splash in this country.

Mizukii Hiruta

Two other female bouts are also planned, including light flyweight banger L.A.’s Gloria Munguilla (6-1) against Coachella’s Brook Sibrian (5-1) in a match set for six rounds. Both are talented fighters. Another female fight includes super featherweights Iyana “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco (2-0) versus Lindsey Ellis (2-1) in another six-rounder. Ellis can crack with all her wins coming via knockout. Verduzco is a multi-national titlist as an amateur.

Others scheduled to perform are Ali Akhmedov, Joshua Anton, Adan Palma and more.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Boxing and the Media

The sport of professional boxing is currently in flux. It’s always in flux but no matter what people may say or write, boxing will survive.

Whether you like Jake Paul or not, he proved boxing has worldwide appeal with monstrous success in his last show. He has media companies looking at the numbers and imagining what they can do with the sport.

Sure, UFC is negotiating a massive billion dollar deal with media companies, as is WWE, both are very similar in that they provide combat entertainment. You don’t need to know the champions because they really don’t matter. Its about the attractions.

Boxing is different. The good champions last and build a following that endures even beyond their careers a la Mike Tyson.

MMA can’t provide that longevity, but it does provide entertainment.

Currently, there is talk of establishing a boxing league again. It’s been done over and over but we shall see if it sticks this time.

Pro boxing is the true warrior’s path and that means a solo adventure. It’s a one-on-one sport and that appeals to people everywhere. It’s the oldest sport that can be traced to prehistoric times. You don’t need classes in Brazilian Jiujitsu, judo, kick boxing or wrestling. Just show up in a boxing gym and they can put you to work.

It’s a poor person’s path that can lead to better things and most importantly discipline.

Photos credit: Lina Baker

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