I have been meaning to ask this for awhile. We all remember this fight. Wilder lands his trademark right, and Liakovich, a former champ on hard times, hits the deck, and starts flailing wildly...almost theatrically. This content is protected This fight is what started the talk of Wilder's "freaky power." To this day, the unenlightened tout his knock-outs over pastry chefs, school teachers, morbidly obese has-beens, and other medically unfit fighters as evidence that he hits harder than even the great Ernie Shavers. But was this a real knock-out? Or was it theater? Two fights later, this occurred, more generally accepted as a dive, not only because...well...it obviously is one...but because Scott is well known to be a personal friend of Deontay's. This content is protected Is there a connection? Were they building Wilder towards a title shot with a SERIES of impressive knock-outs that were totally, 100% fraudulent? I don't know Serghei Liakovich and cannot speak to his character, but he is a guy who basically threw a title away by coming in fat and ignoring his corner, and has been in search of paydays ever since. Note that there is a slight delayed reaction before he goes down. I'm not saying...I'm just saying. Hell, just for fun, let's throw in Harrison's, which also looks dodgy. Note how Harrison screams in terror, as if he were not expecting to get hit (1:54), takes the right, stands for several more seconds as Wilder flails away, hitting air, and then just drops. Now this could just be Audley's natural cowardice, but man, ask yourself, what punch caused this "knockout." This content is protected
No, but I believe Wilder loaded his gloves for that one, and perhaps for several other fights. The way Lyakhovich went down from one right hand and started spasming was very suspicious. Completely unprovable of course, but I've always felt something was off about that fight.
Liakhovich- No it wasnt a set up. He had proven to have poor punch resistance prior to the Wilder fight. Scott- That was 100% a dive. He is now a regular part of Wilder's camps. Harrison- That wasnt the first time Fraudley went down like he was shot when an opponent bum rushed him. He did the same thing vs Haye and Price lets not forget. So that was legit for me.
No obviously a shot fighter convulsing from getting hit flush with a wound up full power right hand by Wilder has to be acting if he convulses. Oh and remember those other dives... Donaire vs Monteil and Tyson vs Berbick. So obvious too lol... those boxers and their obvious dives heheh, they arent fooling me tho no Im smart yes dumb actor boxers why would they move like that poor acting thankfully Im smart and its all a big conspiracy theory.
A dive always looks like a dive. Scott fight is the best example. Likhovich KO was as legitimate as they come
That’s an extremely stupid accusation to make purely off the back of a brutal KO. Liakhovich was old and shot with poor punch resistance, there’s nothing suspicious about it whatsoever.
A set-up ? Yes. A dive ? No. It was a "set-up" in the sense that Liakhovich was shot to pieces, 37 years old, hadn't fought in 17 months, had lost his last 2 fights before that, and hadn't won a fight in over 3 years, (had lost 4 of his last 6), and was 7+ years removed from the only really meaningful win of his career.
An eminent scholar acquaintance of mine who shall remain nameless is of the opinion that Mr Bootleg D was wearing doctored gloves for that fight.
Thats a pretty big accusation. Based solely on a shot fighters reaction to a power punchers best punch landing flush? There can be a highlight video made of various fighters convulsing after being KO'd... do you think they were all hit with loaded gloves? Or just for Wilder. The question sounds like Im being a smartass, but im not intending it that way, legitimately curious.