Wilder to help Haye prepare for Fury

From The Ring

by Lem Satterfield

Deontay Wilder, who stands 6-foot-7, will serve as a sparring partner for former heavyweight titleholder David Haye in preparation for Haye's all-English clash with unbeaten 6-foot-9 contender Tyson Fury on Sept. 28 in Manchester, England, Wilder's co-manager, Jay Deas, informed RingTV.com.

"Deontay leaves on Aug. 28, and he'll return on or about Sept. 18," said Deas of Wilder (29-0, 29 knockouts), a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist who is coming off a first-round stoppage of ex-beltholder Sergei Liakhovich. "So ... he'll be sparring with David Haye for about three weeks in London."

Wilder celebrated his 27th birthday last Oct. 22 in Austria while spending time as the primary sparring partnerfor RING, IBF, WBA and WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko as he trained for his unanimous decision victory over Mariusz Wach in November of last year.

Wilder also served in a similar capacity for Haye leading up to his unanimous decision loss to Klitschko in July of 2011.

"To be able to get this kind of experience and to get the kind of sparring, the caliber of sparring that he can get with David Haye, we just jumped at the chance. I'm reminded of what Wladimir Klitschko said. He told us that he was always surprised when guys would turn him down to get some sparring in with him, saying that they were contenders and not sparring partners, that sort of thing. Wlad just laughs that off," said Deas.

"Because when he was an up-and-coming guy, all the way up to his first title, he said that he would get sparring from the likes of Evander Holyfield and guys like that. He said that it was invaluable to his career to get that sort of work. So I feel the same way. If we can get that level of sparring in, we're all for it. Even if Deontay one day fights David Haye, or one of those other guys that he's sparred with, then that's fine. Deontay is one of the youngest heavyweights in America, so to be able to get better is the main objective, and we see this as an opportunity to do just that."

Wilder has been mentioned by Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer as a candidate for the winner of a Sept. 7 bout between Seth Mitchell and Chris Arreola, an idea Wilder himself is very keen on.

"We're just waiting to see how everything shakes out, and we're hoping to hear something in the next week or so in terms of ideas. Ideally, we'd like for Deontay to be back in the ring in October, early November," said Deas.

"I would really like to get two fights in before the end of the year if possible, and then, if everything goes well, I could definitely see a title fight in early 2014. I think that he's just a couple of more fights away."

Fight night with the homies

Chase, Marcus, Deontay, and Brandon in California for the Santa Cruz vs Terrazas bout.

Deontay Wilder to Spar with David Haye

From www.boxingnews24.com

Deontay will travel to London soon to begin three weeks sparring with David Haye as Haye takes on Tyson Fury. Wilder has been in the UK several times, most recently when he knocked out Audley Harrison inside of a round in Sheffield. Wilder also sparred with Haye when Haye challenged Wladimir Klitschko. He has been informed by his legal team he will now be allowed to travel abroad following a domestic violence arrest in Las Vegas that scuttled a scheduled bout with Derek Chisora.

Quotes:

Deontay Wilder – “Me and David are friends and if he needs my help I’m there for him. I’m more seasoned now than I was the last time we sparred so I plan to give him great work. I don’t hold back and neither does he. We’re there to work hard. I want him to see better competition in sparring than he will in the fight.”

“He has a good team and they treated me well last time so there was no hesitation to go back. I’ve got lots of friends and support in London and Sheffield so I’ll be good.”

“It will be great to be in a camp again with Richard Towers. We got to be friends in Klitschko’s camp when Wlad was getting ready for Wach. Richard is a cool guy and his friends took care of us in Sheffield so it’ll be good seeing him again.”

Wilder co-trainer/co-manager Jay Deas – “There was no big negotiation or anything like that. They asked and we said yes. It was easy because we want the same things. We all want David and Deontay to get better and so absolutely we were on board.”

“Deontay loves England. My mentor, the former WBA Middleweight Champ Sumbu Kalambay has two brothers living in London that are like brothers to me. They will take great care of Deontay. Richard Towers mates from Pakistan will be around too. We’ll have the Africans and the Pakistans and the Alabams!”

“Some people say why spar your friend, or why spar someone you may fight? Deontay is the second youngest heavyweight in the American top 25. Only Andy Ruiz is younger. So Deontay is 4-5 years from his prime, which is kind of scary. He’s getting better every day and still learning. This will help him, and if he fights Towers or Haye down the road, so be it. He sparred and then fought Audley who is like a brother to him. My measuring stick is, “will this make Deontay better?” In this case, absolutely it will so we’re glad to be of service.”

Deontay Wilder - The Stats Behind the Streak

From boxingnews24.com

Knockout punchers fascinate us, especially when they are heavyweights. Breathing life and debate into the big boys division is Deontay Wilder, the Alabamian who earned America’s last medal in (men’s) boxing at the Olympics, taking home the bronze from the Beijing games of 2008.

Currently, Wilder is 29-0 with all 29 victories coming by knockout. He holds the WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Title, a top 10 rating and in his last two outings dispatched Audley Harrison and Sergei Liakhovich inside a round each.

According to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Wilder’s current knockout streak of 29 places him fourth all-time for a heavyweight.

No less an expert trio than Wladimir Klitschko, David Haye and Jameel McCline, who have all sparred with Wilder, say he is a tremendous puncher. In fact, McCline stated that getting hit by Wilder “doesn’t feel like you’re being hit by a human being. He’s got Lennox Lewis power and Shannon Briggs accuracy.”

Still, many dismiss Wilder’s streak, chalking it up to the clever matchmaking of abysmal opponents. Amazingly, no one has ever researched the matter…Until now! Where do Wilder’s opponents stand before they fall? Are they in line with the opponents of other heavyweight knockout artists? Is Wilder knocking out better or worse competition than Mike Tyson, Vitali Klischko and George Foreman did? That’s what we set out to answer.

Boxing is a subjective sport. One could pick apart Wilder opponents as too old, too small, coming off a layoff, etc., but in truth these things could be said of every fighter’s opponents.

What follows is a statistical analysis of Wilder’s knockout run, using the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s top 10 heavyweight knockout streaks as a reference guide.

According to the IBHOF the longest heavyweight knockout resume’ in history belongs to:

1. LaMar Clark. 43-3 (42ko) Streak – 39 or 42 depending on source – Competed in the late 1950’s.
Utah’s Clark was a puncher, but faced weak opposition. Very weak. In fact, according to Boxrec.com, Clark’s opponents had only a 35% winning percentage when they fought him. 13 of his knockout victims had losing records and another 25 were pro debuts or absent of any verifiable record. Many were professional wrestlers and Clark sometimes competed more than once in a given night. Predictably, Clark was later stopped by a young Cassius Clay in two rounds.

2. Don Steele. 45-6 (44ko) Streak – 39 or 41 depending on source – Competed in
the mid-90’s.
Steele’s opponents were as bad as Clarks, entering the ring with only a 25 percent winning mark coming in. 29 had losing records when they fought him. 7 more were pro debuts. Brian Neilsen stopped Steele in two.

3. Jose Urtain. 56-11-4 (41ko) Streak-24 or 30 depending on source – Competed in the late 60’s and early 70’s.
Little is known about this puncher from Spain, other than he fought a series of journeymen who had a reasonable 52 percent winning percentage coming in. Lost to Henry Cooper among others.

4. Deontay Wilder. 29-0 (29ko) Streak-29. Competing currently.
As the primary subject of this analysis, more information is devoted to Wilder. Wilder’s opponents average 6’3” in height and weigh 244 pounds. They average 34 years of age. The 6’7” right hander has had a height advantage in all but one contest, when he and Kelvin Price were eye to eye. The 224 pound Wilder has been outweighed in 23 of his 29 contests. His opponent’s winning percentage entering to face the Bronze Bomber is a solid 66 percent. 7 had losing records. None was a pro debut. To take it a step further, the opponents of Wilder’s opponents had a 61% winning percentage. That is to say, the winning guys (66%) Wilder knocked out were beating winning guys (61%) themselves. In all, and certainly to the surprise of many, strong numbers.

5. Ernie (sometimes spelled Earnie) Shavers. 74-14 (68ko) Streak-27. Competed in
the 70’s.
Shavers, also from Alabama was a murderous puncher, especially considering his 210 pound frame, which was on the light side even for heavys of the 70’s. During his streak, his opponents rated a 47 percent winning mark. 12 had losing records. Ken Norton, Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes have consistently named Shavers as the hardest puncher they faced.

6. Vitali Klitschko. 45-2 (41ko) Streak-27. Competing currently.
Klitschko is clearly the best statistical heavyweight knockout puncher in history. He has an awkward style but surprising quickness and athleticism. He can bang with either hand and has done so at a high level for a long time. This future Hall of Famer can boast an opponent winning percentage of 70% during his knockout run. Only 3 had losing records and the opponents of his opponents also competed with a 64 percent winning percentage, meaning he beat good guys who beat good guys. Top marks on all scales of our top 10.

7. Mac Foster. 30-6 (30ko) Streak-24. Competed in late 60’s/early 70’s.
Foster’s opponents sported a strong winning percentage of 68 when he knocked them out. 5 had losing records. Solid resume’indeed.

8. George Foreman. 76-5 (68) Streak-24. Compiled knockout streak in early 70’s.
It was said of Big George he could knock a man out with glancing punches. If getting hit by Mike Tyson was like getting hit by a bullet, meaning no pain but a complete loss of senses, then getting hit by Foreman was akin to being run over by a Mack truck traveling at 35 miles per hour, where you felt every inch of it. Big George compiled this streak in his first career against opponents who had a 65% winning slate coming in. 10 had losing records.

9. Alex Stewart. 43-10 (40ko) Streak-24. Competed in the late 80’s.
Stewart rolled up 24 consecutive knockouts to start his career, with opponents sporting a 51% winning mark. 6 had losing records. 4 were pro debuts. Evander Holyfield stopped the streak in a fierce battle, knocking Stewart out in 8.

10. Herbie Hide. 49-4 (43ko) Streak-22. Compiled KO list in the 90’s.
Hide was a smallish heavyweight, who later moved to Cruiserweight but could punch with the best of them. Rocked iron-jawed Riddick Bowe before being . stopped largely due to size difference. His opponent’s winning percentage was 61% during his knockout run and 8 opponents had losing records when they faced him.

BONUS FIGHTER – Mike Tyson. 50-6 (44ko) Streak-19. Compiled in 80’s.
“Iron” Mike blew through his first 19 before James “Quick” Tillis and Mitch “Blood”Green managed to make it to the final bell. Mike’s victims had a 63 percent winning clip and the opponents of Mike’s opponents came in at 60 percent, both good numbers.

From purely a statistical point of view, criticism of Wilder’s opposition isn’t warranted. In fact, his opponents rank third behind only Vitali Klitschko and Mac Foster. It is important to note that of these 11 boxers featured (counting Tyson), only four attained a World title, leading to the conclusion that punching power in and of itself draws crowds and debate but doesn’t necessarily lead to Championships.

*The IBHOF list continues on with Phil Jackson and Frank Bruno. Michael Moorer was excluded from this article as his knockout streak was compiled primarily when he competed as a light heavyweight. Sources include the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Boxrec.com and Fight Fax.

Victory!!

Team Wilder

From left to right:  Russ Anber, Jay Deas, Deontay Wilder, Mark Breland, and Cuz Hill

Deontay on being in shape....

"I honestly don't have any time off.  I'm always up in the gym.  When people call somebody a 'gym rat,' I am definitely that.  This is my job and I take it seriously whether I'm outside the ring or inside.  The only way to get better is to train and practice hard.  The most time I'm off after a fight is maybe a week. After that, I'm training and waiting on the next fight.  When I go to camp, I don't go to camp to get in shape.  I go to camp to put shape on top of shape.  I'm never out of shape."

Who is that masked man, anyway?

A word from Deontay

Thanks to all the fans from Alabama who came to represent and show their support to Team Bomb Squad! It was great to see you all there and let Showtime know we bring the crowd! Looking forward to getting in the ring again soon.

                The Bronze Bomber

The Bronze Bomber

Wilder calls Liakhovich KO "a scary moment"

The end came at the 1:43 mark of the first round.

The first of two vicious right-hand shots from heavyweight Deontay Wilder landed sharply on the left temple of Sergei Liakhovich, putting the ex-beltholder flat on his back where he remained, legs and arms twitching.

Referee Tom Taylor swiftly waved an end to the bout, dropping to one knee and grabbing Liakhovich by the chin with his left hand. He cradled the fighter's head with his right and told him, "Stay down."

Wilder, a 6-foot-7 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, was oblivious to what was transpiring behind him at the time. He mugged for the camera, wagging his tongue and leaning over the ropes to embrace the cheers of the crowd in celebration of his 29th straight knockout in as many fights.

"I came with a left hook, right hand, and then I came with a jab, right hand, right hand. I hit him the first time with a hook, but the hook didn't really do it. But when I came back with the jab, right hand and the right hand, that got him after the jab had forced him to the ropes. I think that he was surprised by the ropes, and he bounced off, and that even gave me more momentum on my punch. Most of the time, when I hit a guy, I feel the full structure of their face in my glove and stuff," said Wilder. 

"But this time, I felt it a little bit, but that was definitely not all of the force of my punch. I think that it was more the position that he was in, and where I was. I had good gravity, I had good positioning and balance, and my feet were spread apart so I had good leverage on the punch. When I hit him, I saw him going down, and I just went to my neutral corner. I knew that it was over, because my corner was telling me that it was over when he fell down. So I was all happy and celebrating. "

Wilder's demeanor changed, somewhat, upon seeing a replay of his triumph over Liakhovich, who had entered the bout having suffered consecutive ninth-round knockout losses to unbeaten contenders Robert Helenius and Bryant Jennings.

"I saw it afterward on the replay on the big screen when I looked back and I saw it on the monitor. That's when my smile went into a frown, and I was concerned and I was worried, because that was a scary moment. That was one of those things that, when I saw that, I was like, 'Oh, man,' and I was saying prayers for him," said Wilder.

"They're saying that he's going to be okay, and I heard that he's going to be in the hospital for a couple of days, but that was a scary moment. I've seen it all over the place. That was on YouTube and it's on the internet. Just to see his eyes roll into the back of his head and him going into a seizure like that, and he had a concussion as well, that was scary. Very scary."

A 27-year-old father of two girls, ages 8 and 2, Wilder said that he reconciles his role as perhaps the division's most devastating puncher through his practice of praying before his fights.

"I always tell people that I have two prayers. I have a team prayer, and I have an individual prayer. The team prayer is always about victory, and even in my personal prayer, that's there about winning. But in my personal prayer, I also express to God that I want to knock out my opponent, but I don't want to hurt them to the point where they can't go back to their job, or they can't do what they love to do anymore where they can't provide for their families," said Wilder.

"I know that this is what we signed up to do, and that it's a part of the business, but I definitely don't want to be the guy who kills somebody in the ring. I wouldn't want that on my heart. Winning is one thing, but hurting somebody to the point where they can't support their family? I'm a father myself, and I love my kids, and I want to support my kids, and if I couldn't support them no more -- especially being a man -- that would truly hurt my heart. So I definitely don't want to hurt nobody. But I'm definitely going to keep doing what I do, you know, because I love the knockouts."

Wilder takes another big step in boxing career

Deontay Wilder, the 2008 Olympic heavyweight boxing bronze medalist, barely broke a sweat Friday night en route to dispatching Sergei Liakhovich in less than two minutes at the Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino.

The former WBO heavyweight champion was supposed to provide Wilder, a Tuscaloosa native, solid work in extending him past the fourth round for the first time. Instead, Liakhovich didn’t make it through the first round. Previously, no opponent had been able to get rid of the Scottsdale, Ariz., resident in less than nine rounds.

Wilder was largely a project after turning professional. Though he won a medal in Beijing, China, he was still a novice with less than 50 amateur fights to his credit.

Over the past five years, Wilder cut his teeth against modest opposition, mostly away from the bright lights and expectations that come with major television. Friday’s Showtime-televised main event could force Wilder to be moved quicker than anyone anticipated.

Wilder has sparred Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, the two-headed heavyweight monster that has reigned over the division for much of the last decade. Is Wilder that far from being ready to test himself against either brother without headgear? Is it something Wilder would be interested in if the time comes?

“I thought about that after camp, because I gave such tremendous work to them (as a sparring partner),” said Wilder after Friday night’s victory. “The reply I got from sparring them, I got the feeling maybe they’ll hold off on fighting me, because they know what I’m capable of doing.

“At the same time, those guys are very competitive to where if you think you’re ready, and I know if you talk enough, they will fight you.”

While Wilder is still a few considerable steps away from being in that position, it is not out of the realm of possibility. His first focus is establishing himself as the premiere American heavyweight.

Alongside Wilder, there are two other stateside heavyweights making a name for themselves.

Andy Ruiz Jr. would never win a body building contest against Wilder, but has shown impressive skills despite a less than appealing physique. That he is promoted by Top Rank, while Wilder is with bitter rival Golden Boy Promotions, means a showdown between the two is unlikely.

A more reasonable fight would come against Bryant Jennings of Philadelphia. Jennings and Wilder have exchanged words in the media and Wilder just starched a guy that Jennings took nine rounds to eliminate.

Next month, American heavyweights Seth Mitchell and Chris Arreola meet in a crossroads fight. Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer has already indicated the winner could be next for Wilder. It would be a solid jump in class, and the first fight where some might go against Wilder in pre-fight predictions.

Wilder is determined in his mission to become the first American heavyweight champion since 2007, when Shannon Briggs held the belt briefly — after beating Liakhovich, ironically.

“I think I’ve got America behind me,” said Wilder. “There can only be one American heavyweight, and his name is Deontay Wilder.”

Wilder vs Liakhovich - Showtime Tonight!

By Mark Ortega

Special to The Tuscaloosa News

Published: Friday, August 9, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, August 8, 2013 at 11:50 p.m.

INDIO, Calif. | Tuscaloosa heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder, the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, takes his first big step up in class tonight when he meets former WBO heavyweight champion Sergei Liakhovich in a 10-round main event. The card will be televised on Showtime.

Wilder has a perfect 28-0 record with 28 knockouts since turning professional almost five years ago. None of those knockouts have come against a fighter in the class of Liakhovich, who in 2006 upset the odds by earning a decision victory over Lamon Brewster to win a version of the heavyweight title.

Though Liakhovich (25-5 16 knockouts) has won just two of his last six bouts, all four losses have come against quality contenders. Wilder is looking to establish himself as one of the best young American heavyweights; an impressive win over Liakhovich would go far in making that claim.

Liakhovich should provide a good litmus test to gauge Wilder's progression. He's never been past the fourth round, while Liakhovich hasn't been stopped before the ninth.

One of the other premiere young American heavyweights Wilder is trying to measure himself against is unbeaten Philadelphian, Bryant Jennings (17-0, 9 knockouts), who stopped Liakhovich on his stool in the ninth round of their fight last March. That marked the last time the Belarusian stepped into the ring.

Wilder and Jennings exchanged heated words with one another on ATG Radio (an internet radio show) a week ago.

“I'm ready for whatever, to give the fans what they want,” Wilder said. “I want to shut somebody up. It's time for that fight with Jennings, it's 2013, almost 2014, I want it.”

Wilder and Liakhovich weighed in Thursday, with the former looking much like a future champion, coming in at a muscular 224 pounds. Liakhovich has seen better days, weighing 232 pounds.

Wilder is a physical specimen at 6-foot-7 and has sparred with heavyweight champion brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko. Despite his fight night foes being of lesser credentials, Wilder has benefitted from working with the two best heavyweights today Liakhovich feels as though the experience factor will be a big reason for his success on Friday.

“One of the main guys I spar with is a tall guy like him,” Liakhovich said after weighing in.

“I've fought a lot of tall guys like [Robert] Helenius and [Nicolay] Valuev, which will help me in terms of knowing what to do against a tall opponent.”

Liakhovich failed to note that in those two fights, Valuev shut him out and Helenius stopped him in nine rounds. Perhaps those twenty plus rounds with giants will play a positive factor.

If Wilder knocks out Liakhovich with ease the way he has dispatched previous opponents, he doesn't expect it to be enough to quiet the naysayers.

“I feel like no matter who I fight, I'm not going to get credit,” Wilder said. “If I knock him out early, they'll say he was old, but I just gotta go out there and take care of business.”

Despite what Wilder says, an impressive early knockout would help speed up his ascent up the ladder.  When looking back at his career years from now, it is possible that tonight's fight could be considered the point where he became worthy of the hype.

Awesome camp!

The time is drawing near - less than a week before the fight.   Get ready for The Bomb Squaaaaaaad!  Thanks to these guys for all of their hard work!  From left to right: Deontay Wilder, sparring partner Bryant Ezell, Coach Mark Breland, sparring partner Alonzo Butler, Coach John Foust, Coach Jay Deas, sparring partner Jameel McCline. Kneeling is Coach Cuz.