Let's
start with Deontay Wilder's poise. From the opening bell, Wilder exhibited none
of the nervous energy that manifested in many of his previous performances. He
moved fluidly around the ring and didn't load up on power shots. When he
started to land right hands in the second round, Bermane Stiverne took them
relatively well. Wilder, used to seeing opponents sprawled along the canvas
from his bombs, didn't panic in this situation and stuck to his game plan.
Facing
pressure from Stiverne, Wilder maintained his composure throughout the fight.
Few opponents had dared to come forward during his developmental fights yet, on
Saturday, Wilder shook off Stiverne's advances with relative ease, relying on
his footwork, jab and punch arsenal to minimize Stiverne’s effectiveness.
Wilder's
ability to relax in the ring helped answer questions about his chin. In his
13th professional fight, Wilder had been dropped by Harold Sconiers, a 17-20-2
fighter. Because of that event, many boxing observers continued to hold significant
reservations (and deservedly so) about Wilder's whiskers. Throughout his
development, he had faced nary a puncher and the thought was that his team had
deliberately avoided matching him with anyone who could really bang. Of course,
to win a championship belt, Wilder had to fight a puncher (either Wladimir
Klitschko or Stiverne). And if Wilder was really glass-chinned, it was
certainly possible that he could struggle against a fighter who possessed real
firepower.
Instead,
Wilder took Stiverne's shots without much of a problem. It wasn't that his
defense was particularly sharp; Stiverne found him enough. No, Wilder's ring
composure allowed him to stay focused and maintain his energy as the rounds progressed. He
was expecting to be hit and didn't fall apart the first time that Stiverne connected
with something of substance. Wilder's sparring and gym work really came into
play during Saturday's fight. He had rarely been hit hard in his pro fights but
yet he behaved like a seasoned pro after absorbing Stiverne's power shots.
Wilder
took some big punches in the fourth, sixth and eighth – rounds that conceivably
could have be awarded to Stiverne. To Wilder's credit, each time that Stiverne
had success, he responded emphatically and won the ensuing round. This
resiliency was another sign of Wilder's maturity and progression in the ring.
He had rarely lost rounds as a professional but on Saturday he shrugged that
off as just part of boxing. He quashed any notion of a sustained Stiverne rally
and came back determined after facing duress.
Even
though Wilder had never gone past four rounds as a pro, he maintained his
conditioning and comportment throughout the 12 rounds. Of course, he was aiming
for the quick knockout but that was only part of the plan. The attempt at the
early KO didn't supersede winning rounds. It wasn't so much "Plan A"
or "Plan B"; the two were actually interwoven. The goal was to
dominate the fight. If the knockout came, that would've been ideal but Wilder
and his team were certainly prepared, both physically and mentally, to go the
distance.
Wilder
had Stiverne hurt during several occasions in the fight. Wilder's actions in
these instances highlighted his poise in the ring. He refused to rush in. Aware
that Stiverne's counter left hook was his biggest weapon, Wilder avoided
getting too close and continued to respect his opponent's power; he didn't run
into too many hard counter shots. After hurting Stiverne, Wilder kept in
punching range for follow up shots, not smothering himself or allowing Stiverne
to tie him up and stop action. Furthermore, there were a number of times where
Wilder stepped back from pressing at all, believing that Stiverne was trying to
lure him into traps (he was right). Perhaps most importantly, unlike many young
knockout artists, Wilder didn't gas himself going for the stoppage. Wilder may
not have "finished" Stiverne but he was able to finish the fight with
a new belt. His ability to pace himself for 12 rounds was a big reason why the
title changed hands.
In
the 12th round, when a desperate Stiverne had success in the first minute,
Wilder acted like a seasoned pro by using his body to lay on Stiverne against
the ropes, neutralizing his power and smothering his work rate. Wilder clearly
understood the task at hand. He wasn't worried about giving up the round; he
was concerned with minimizing big shots and staying on his feet. Again, this
was Wilder's first time in the championship rounds and he performed like a
savvy veteran.
In
short, Wilder's performance was terrific. He won by a wide unanimous decision
(120-107, 119-108 and 118-109). Going into the fight, he was a giant question
mark. No one knew if his stamina, chin or composure could hold up for a
distance fight and he passed these tests with flying colors. Sure, there are
still things that he needs to work on – he jumps at too many feints, he lowers
his hands too much when an opponent goes to his body, he's doesn't effectively
counterpunch and his defensive technique slips when facing combinations – but
these are not tragic problems for a relatively inexperienced and young
heavyweight (29) to have. There's a lot of good stuff here.
Having
poise, power and the desire to improve, Wilder has the foundation to be a
significant player in the heavyweight division for a long time. What he needs
now are more rounds and some fine tuning. I have no doubt that Wilder's
trainer, Mark Breland, can further refine the fighter's glove positioning on
defense and other related issues; the core skills are there.
As
for Stiverne, although he couldn't get off enough during the fight, he still
had his moments. I'm sure that his power punches and hard combos in rounds
four, six and eight would have bested a number of top heavyweights, but Wilder
took everything far better than anticipated.
Stiverne
had trouble establishing his counter left hook and he only attempted a couple
of overhand rights (that punch seemed to be there for him). Throwing mostly one
punch at a time throughout the fight, he had some limited success with body
shots and right crosses. Stiverne, a natural counterpuncher, looked
uncomfortable pressuring Wilder and he lacked the footwork or punch activity to
trouble him consistently. As I write this, Stiverne is still in the hospital
suffering the effects of dehydration; that condition could help explain some
aspects of his lowered activity level on Saturday, but only some. Wilder's
skills played a much larger part in Stiverne's loss.
Far
more than a mere knockout artist, Wilder showed that he has a number of
dimensions in the ring. He won several rounds on Saturday with just his
jab. In addition, he used his left hook expertly to thwart an advancing
Stiverne. His movement was also fantastic. He maneuvered the ring beautifully,
using quick lateral movement and refusing to stay in the pocket too long. This limited Stiverne's opportunities for success.
Although
Wilder answered a number of questions with his performance on Saturday, several
additional concerns will now come into play. Just as one never knows how a
fighter will react to getting hit, one can't be certain how a boxer will respond
to being a champion. Will Wilder continue to work hard in the gym? Does he
understand that he still needs to get better? Will he remain disciplined?
As
an American heavyweight titlist (Wlad Klitschko is obviously the champion in
the division) and an Olympian, Wilder will have umpteen opportunities and
distractions coming his way. If he keeps his head on straight, he could earn
some serious money in his career as well as help to grow the sport in
America. Numerous special interests have a lot riding on Wilder. There will be
significant pressure for him to perform, both in and out of the ring. How
Wilder handles his elevated status in the sport will be fascinating. Whether he
acknowledges it or not, he is now a star. And with that status comes all of the
glory and trappings. For the good of the sport, let's hope that Wilder stays
focused in the ring and in his personal life. There is a lot to like here and
boxing in America gets only so many opportunities to make an impact in today's
competitive sports landscape. Let's hope that Wilder opens up new doors.
He is also a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
@snboxing on twitter
@snboxing on twitter
Contact Adam at saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com
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