Deontay Wilder (43-4-1, 43 KOs) showed signs of decline in his seventh-round TKO win over veteran Tyrrell Anthony Herndon (24-6, 15 KOs) on Friday night at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas.
Wilder’s Decline Evident
The former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder, 39, got the job done, dropping Herndon in rounds two and six. Referee Ray Corona pulled the plug on the fight in the seventh round after Deontay landed two right hands to the head of the worn-out Herndon.
He’d given up fighting back in that round and wasn’t throwing many punches to make it competitive. At one point in the round, Herndon turned his back on Wilder and started to walk like he was quitting. It was clear in the round that the San Antonio, Texas native wanted out of the fight.
Herndon had his moments in the fight, landing some nice shots in the fourth round that had Deontay uncomfortable. If he had been able to continue throwing at a high clip, he’d have beaten Wilder, because he looked vulnerable.
In the second round, Deontay caught Herndon with a left hook when he was leaping in to throw. Herndon complained to the referee that it was a slip, but the referee wasn’t buying it.
Wilder’s accuracy looked off through most of the fight. It didn’t pick up until the sixth when Herndon stopped moving as much and stood directly in front of him. Even then, Wilder was still missing a lot.
Wilder’s Right Hand Gone?
Deontay’s punching power and hand speed were missing from his right hand. That used to be Wilder’s bread and butter. Not anymore. Tonight, Wilder’s best punch was his left hook. His jab was excellent as well. He was forced to use those tools to outdo Herdon.
Deontay had mentioned this week that he had a right shoulder problem that had been affecting him. It sure looked like he was still being affected