Deontay "The Bronze Bomber" Wilder

In what way is it deceiving? A medal's a medal. In the process of securing that bronze he defeated two other world-level amateurs who had qualified for the Olympics.

Doesn't having had a late start and limited experience make that more impressive?

Deontay also had an earlier amateur win over Rakhim Chakkhiev, the gold medalist of 2008, who beat his conqueror (silver medalist Clemente Russo) - and he did so in Russia, no less.

 

I see now. Yeah, Kolya probably meant that it's not unreasonable for him to start slow as a pro since he didn't have much of an amateur foundation, despite having medaled. :good

I actually agree with that. He gets a free pass until about #17 or 18, or this time next year - whichever comes first. Or when he headlines his first Latin Fury. :yep

 

Speaking of Kingpin...what do you think about the two of them meeting up at some point in the not too distant future?

There are all sorts of interesting dichotomies.

You have juggernaut power (maybe...jury's out) against safety-first-with-a-bullet defense.

You have the current poster boy for the American amateur program being alive and well versus the current poster boy for late bloomers learning on the job and doing fine.

You have, in an interesting role reversal from their fighting styles, someone brought up slowly and carefully opposite someone who was thrown to the wolves and matched tough from the word go (which calls the whole power thing into question - most think Johnson is featherfisted with his low KO ratio, but for all we know Wilder would have won decisions over all the same guys Johnson did, and Johnson in turn might have kayoed all the same guys Wilder did...they could, in fact, have identical power :think).

You have a combination power puncher versus a Holmes wannabe.

You have a brick-house body type (6'2" and weighing in on average in the 240's) with a very long reach, and then you have a lean muscle body type (6'7" and never more than 220) with a very long reach.

You have the prospect with something to prove who needs a name on his resume but shouldn't accelerate too quickly and take on someone very dangerous, and on the other hand the disgraced contender on the road to redemption who would love to gobble up that cherry.

 

Johnson looks like he should have power, so it's long been my suspicion that he just doesn't even go for torque on his punches, preferring to err on the side of accuracy and scoring points, and not leaving himself open.

Obviously physiques can be misleading too, so I could be wrong and he's as weak as his ratio would suggest.

As for Deontay - the Dustin Nicholses of the world aren't going to tell us a damn thing about whether his power's the real deal. :yep However, you do have to be impressed with a mere two power punches getting the job done, at any level.

 

Maybe not for a paycheck...but he's certainly shared a ring with better.

Are Big Bad John or Danny Peret the same class as Rakim Chakkhiev? Nah...