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Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (30-0, 30 KOs) is set to step foot in the ring on March 15, 2014 against Malik Scott (35-1-1, 12 KOs) in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
The question that many people in the boxing community have is; is Wilder the real deal?
The Alabama native has certainly paved his own path to success. Wilder is a National Golden Gloves champion and the 2008 Olympic Heavyweight bronze medalist.
When Wilder steps in the ring, most fans only think of one thing—what round will he knock his opponent out in?
In 30 fights, Wilder has never been passed the fourth-round, exploding with fury on every person who he has faced. Wilder’s size, reach, speed and power are generally immediate advantages in his favor.
Currently, the Bronze Bomber holds the WBC Heavyweight Continental title. Some may wonder with such an impeccable record, why doesn’t he hold much more?
While looking at Wilder’s fight history, many of the opponent’s names simply don’t ring a bell to the average fan.
So does the caliber of ones opponents dictate their credibility?
It would be fair to say that many pure boxing analysts would disagree. In fact, Wilder has recently defeated some well-established boxers in 2013.
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On April 27, 2013 Wilder stopped Olympic gold medalist Audley Harrison in the first-round by TKO. Just five months later he was able to defeat former WBO Heavyweight champion Siarhei Liakhovich by way of first-round knockout as well.
We have seen a recent passive change of respect for those who have fought on a world class Olympic level. So one may ask what the double standard would be for Wilder.
The short of it all is that there shouldn’t and most likely is not a double standard.
Mainstream boxing fans are holding higher expectations when it comes to big name fights. So when will this rising star validate his impeccable record against a publicly high named opponent?
Vitali Klitschko recently vacated the WBC Heavyweight title in order to focus on politics.
An upcoming rematch between Heavyweights Chris Arreola and Bermane Stiverne will determine the new champion for that title.
Wilder is currently ranked No. 3 in the world by the WBC. With that in mind, there is a high likelihood that if he is successful against Scott in Puerto Rico, he may be next in line to face the winner of Arreola vs. Stiverne.
Although there have been no official announcements regarding such a matchup, it appears that it would be very hard for promoters to avoid it.
The fans certainly love to see the knockouts and are eager to see Wilder challenged, not only by display of power, but in terms of overall athleticism.
Photo by Brendan Montenegro/Round By Round Boxing
The question of Wilder’s validity in the ring continues to surface. Many would agree that 30 consecutive knockouts—regardless of name—is more than just a fluke, it’s a legitimate legacy in the making.
The question is, how long will this building block phase last? Is 2014 the year of the Bronze Bomber?
Will Wilder arrive upon the next level of champions destined to bring the Heavyweight division back to the top of the boxing pyramid as it once was?
With what Wilder has displayed thus far in his career, it is fair to say that all bets are in his favor.
