American heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder made the first defense of his WBC title when he scored a 9th round KO victory against the lightly regarded Eric Molina. The fight, which took place in Wilder’s home state of Alabama, saw the champion drop the challenger 3 times before viciously stopping him with a fourth knockdown in the 9th round which prompted referee Jack Reiss to immediately call a halt to the bout. With the victory, Wilder improved to 34-0, with 33 of his victories coming inside the distance.
Wilder is a rare commodity in this day and age – an American heavyweight title holder. This is something that was a given throughout most of boxing history. From Jack Dempsey, to Joe Louis, to Rocky Marciano, to the trio of Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, and Joe Frazier, to the Easton Assassin, and right through the 80s and 90s with Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and Riddick Bowe – America has a rich history of decorated heavyweight champions who have carved lasting legacies in the sport. But for the better part of the last 20 years, heavyweight boxing has been dominated by three fighters – Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko, and Vitali Klitschko – none of whom are American.
Is Deontay Wilder the heavyweight champion that American boxing fans have long been waiting for? Is Wilder good enough to compete with some of the big guns in the heavyweight division, including the likes of Alexander Povetkin, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua? How does Wilder match up against long the long reigning legitimate heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko?
This edition of Rummy’s Corner attempts to answer these questions and more!
Check out this video to get one man’s take on the situation.
Watch and enjoy!
