What should be said about Deontay Wilder now?

Was it really just a "bad day at the office" for Wilder? That's what some of the apologists would say.

Was it a case of getting your big pay day and having a little bit of fun and neglecting the training and hunger that got you the title in the first place? That is what some of the haters would say.

Was it a case of his opponent, Eric Molina, just being better than what was anticipated from him? That is what matchmakers would say as an excuse to give Wilder that match-up in the first place.

Was it a case of Wilder carrying Molina to give the fans some excitement? That is what the conspiracy mobsters of the fight game would say behind closed doors.

Was it a case of home-crowd nerves on Wilder's part? That's what people in Alabama would say who have not seen him fight, up close, at the elite level in the last 3 years or so when he left the local scene.

Was it a case of Wilder's right hand not healing up properly since the Stiverne fight? Could be, because he didn't throw much of it as we were used to seeing. In fact, his left hook did more damage outside of the finishing punch.

Was it a case of Eric Molina showing us a blueprint on how to break Wilder down and beat him? Could be, and this is what prospective opponents with more skill, chin and determination would say as their consolation to preparing to fight Wilder.

Is any of it something to worry about moving forward? Possibly not. But, then again, in my opinion, it really is. Especially if Wilder wants to win more and more at the elite level.

Not to take away from his opponent, Eric Molina, but Wilder may be suffering from at least three of these scenarios:

I feel he got his first bit of real money having beaten Stiverne, knew he was in with a supposedly soft opponent in Molina, did not train as hard as he should have, Molina came up for the fight, prepared well and had a real game plan that can work well for Wilder's opponents in the future- That is, stay away as much as you can from Wilder in the early rounds, hit him with hard body shots early to middle, and then wait for him to lose some steam on his legs and then take him up top when you can.

The only thing Molina did wrong in his loss to Wilder was that Molina did not commit hard enough to the body by at least round three, and Molina was getting afraid of being hit more than he was interested in giving back some punishment- which was not by a great margin his fear to courage factor, but enough to give Wilder a few chances he should not have had.

The beginning of a blueprint is out there: Run from Wilder for the first three rounds or so, hit the body early, and hard, and don't stop hitting the body even when you start to mix it up to the head. Wilder will lose steam, and he will be there for you to stop him.

I think Wilder's chin is better than what people expected of him. Give Wilder credit for that. But he will have the Tommy Hearns effect ala Sugar Ray Leonard in their first fight. I'm almost certain of it.

Povetkin is next for Wilder, if all things go smoothly in the fight game. Povetkin can learn from this fight, more than anyone can learn from Wilder's fight vs. Stiverne.

Wilder is supposed to be a massive puncher but Arreola stopped Molina in the first.

He struggled to control him.

Its more a case of this fight proved how poor Stiverne was.

Wilder will make for fun fights but hes not going to be a title holder for long. Oddly enough I still think he beats Povetkin with his height.

Opinions of Deontay should be almost the same as on Friday. Sports fans tend to only look at what they last saw. That's silly. All evidence should be considered.

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Originally Posted by ross

Wilder is supposed to be a massive puncher but Arreola stopped Molina in the first.

He struggled to control him.

Its more a case of this fight proved how poor Stiverne was.

Wilder will make for fun fights but hes not going to be a title holder for long. Oddly enough I still think he beats Povetkin with his height.

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That's the Chris Arreola who was stopped by Stiverne, the Stiverne who was clearly outpointed by Wilder. Right ?

Wilder looked poor I was not impressed with this performance, he does bring a bit of excitement
to the HW division, maybe a off night I NO if he gets in the ring with Povetkin he better shape
up, or his rein as Champion will be short lived.;)

Wilder probably took his opponent lightly and against serious competition he will raise his game particularly if it is Povetkin or Wlad.

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Originally Posted by ross

Wilder is supposed to be a massive puncher but Arreola stopped Molina in the first.

He struggled to control him.

Its more a case of this fight proved how poor Stiverne was.

Wilder will make for fun fights but hes not going to be a title holder for long. Oddly enough I still think he beats Povetkin with his height.

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How did Arreola bomb Molina out? With furious combinations that Arreola is famous for. No one closes you out when he has you hurt quite like Arreola, now admit it. Sure, he may not have bone crushing power, but Arreola does not take his foot off of the gas WHEN IN SHAPE in terms of "closing out" a strong opponent.

Wilder is a one time smash guy. A true heavyweight with heavyweight power. But as we saw, as his opponents get tougher willed and more strong chins, Wilder's one punch gimmick can be weathered.

Credit where credit is due. I think Wilder fought an excellent fight against Stiverne. People can dump on Stiverne all they want, but fact remains he's still a very dangerous fighter on any given night. Unfortunately, I also think Wilder somehow regressed against Molina. Not to take anything away from Molina, but Wilder looked amateurish at times. One of the things he does way too often is hold his hands low and back away from punches a la Ali. Wilder is not Ali, and he should stop acting like him. Ali could get away with a lot of things that Wilder will not be able to get away with. I used to think Wilder had a great probability to beat Wlad. I've changed my mind. In fact, if Wilder fights Povetkin the same way he fought Molina.... he might be in for a rude awakening.

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Originally Posted by Ron Swanson

Opinions of Deontay should be almost the same as on Friday. Sports fans tend to only look at what they last saw. That's silly. All evidence should be considered.

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OH, those myopic 'sports fans' again....looking at what they ~last~ saw....except that, what they "last" saw was the fight itself.

I think that wilder was just trying to go for the KO quickly and when that didn't happen, he had to change his gamelan. Wilder is the same as I thought before. He is an inexperienced fighter who has some good tools and is just fortunate to be in a terrible division.

Probably what some have said before last night. His chin is questionable, he is stiff with overrated predictable bow & arrow delivery and power and wasted too much time padding his record with blow outs where he learned zero. I really do think he is full of false confidence. Now is at the top where every flaw is magnified and his margin for error very narrow as he cannot go lower than a Molina who had him looking wreckless and amateurish. This was his homecoming "showcase" gimme and its only going to get much much tougher. What stood out to me was how bad his defense is on the backfoot...he is straight line and literally paws. His head does not move..the shoulders do a bit and he can bend at the waist..but that head and neck remain in basically one unblinking position. Molina had no business landing as many right hands as he did and taking ground. I don't think he beats Povetkin.

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Originally Posted by Spicoli

Probably what some have said before last night. His chin is questionable, he is stiff with overrated predictable bow & arrow delivery and power and wasted too much time padding his record with blow outs where he learned zero. I really do think he is full of false confidence. Now is at the top where every flaw is magnified and his margin for error very narrow as he cannot go lower than a Molina who had him looking wreckless and amateurish. This was his homecoming "showcase" gimme and its only going to get much much tougher. What stood out to me was how bad his defense is on the backfoot...he is straight line and literally paws. His head does not move..the shoulders do a bit and he can bend at the waist..but that head and neck remain in basically one unblinking position. Molina had no business landing as many right hands as he did and taking ground. I don't think he beats Povetkin.

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Pretty much agree with most of this. The worst part about his defense backing up is he just leaves his chin out to dry. He's an idiot if he thinks that'll continue to go unpunished.

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Originally Posted by ykdadamaja

Was it really just a "bad day at the office" for Wilder? That's what some of the apologists would say.

Was it a case of getting your big pay day and having a little bit of fun and neglecting the training and hunger that got you the title in the first place? That is what some of the haters would say.

Was it a case of his opponent, Eric Molina, just being better than what was anticipated from him? That is what matchmakers would say as an excuse to give Wilder that match-up in the first place.

Was it a case of Wilder carrying Molina to give the fans some excitement? That is what the conspiracy mobsters of the fight game would say behind closed doors.

Was it a case of home-crowd nerves on Wilder's part? That's what people in Alabama would say who have not seen him fight, up close, at the elite level in the last 3 years or so when he left the local scene.

Was it a case of Wilder's right hand not healing up properly since the Stiverne fight? Could be, because he didn't throw much of it as we were used to seeing. In fact, his left hook did more damage outside of the finishing punch.

Was it a case of Eric Molina showing us a blueprint on how to break Wilder down and beat him? Could be, and this is what prospective opponents with more skill, chin and determination would say as their consolation to preparing to fight Wilder.

Is any of it something to worry about moving forward? Possibly not. But, then again, in my opinion, it really is. Especially if Wilder wants to win more and more at the elite level.

Not to take away from his opponent, Eric Molina, but Wilder may be suffering from at least three of these scenarios:

I feel he got his first bit of real money having beaten Stiverne, knew he was in with a supposedly soft opponent in Molina, did not train as hard as he should have, Molina came up for the fight, prepared well and had a real game plan that can work well for Wilder's opponents in the future- That is, stay away as much as you can from Wilder in the early rounds, hit him with hard body shots early to middle, and then wait for him to lose some steam on his legs and then take him up top when you can.

The only thing Molina did wrong in his loss to Wilder was that Molina did not commit hard enough to the body by at least round three, and Molina was getting afraid of being hit more than he was interested in giving back some punishment- which was not by a great margin his fear to courage factor, but enough to give Wilder a few chances he should not have had.

The beginning of a blueprint is out there: Run from Wilder for the first three rounds or so, hit the body early, and hard, and don't stop hitting the body even when you start to mix it up to the head. Wilder will lose steam, and he will be there for you to stop him.

I think Wilder's chin is better than what people expected of him. Give Wilder credit for that. But he will have the Tommy Hearns effect ala Sugar Ray Leonard in their first fight. I'm almost certain of it.

Povetkin is next for Wilder, if all things go smoothly in the fight game. Povetkin can learn from this fight, more than anyone can learn from Wilder's fight vs. Stiverne.

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Yh I aint reading any of that at all.

Wilder proved a himself a joke, if that left hook that caught him in the third was from someone like Tommy Morrison, Wilder would be flat out.

Joshua, Fury, Price, Haye and even Dillian Whyte could beat him by landing a shot, based on his performance against Molina.

And that is just in England.

Wilder is inexperienced because the vast majority of his fights have ended early and the opposition was poor.
He will have to learn fast if he doesn't want to be carried out feet first.

If he is still alive and saw that last night, lngemar Johansson has to be thinking comeback.

Could be a case of Wilder taking his man lightly, but I think it's a little short sighted to talk about how Arreola took him out early so Deontay should have as well. Molina hurt Arreola, got reckless and ran in with his hands down, and got caught with a big counter left hook. In this fight, Molina was a lot more defensively minded and didn't go crazy even when he seemed to hurt Deontay. It's a tough when you're fighting a 240lb guy with big power, who just wants to sit back and have you walk into a counter haymaker.

I think it's pretty clear Deontay needs to diversify his offensive attack and learn to better disguise that big right hand, but to start writing him off because it took 8 rounds to KO a guy is a bit foolish IMO.

Wilder looked a little gassed after the 4th. This was mainly due to him missing so many overexerting hard shots. The body punches landed by Molina may have had something to do with that as well.

Imagine if Molina had committed to the body more often.

Did anyone catch Holyfield's expression right after the fight was called? The first that came to mind, I believed Holyfield was thinking: "i KNOW I could have beaten this guy".

Sure, the commentator said something like: "...and there's Holyfield who looks impressed". I didn't get that vibe at all.

some thoughts;

Firstly, Evander did look distinctly unimpressed!

1. Wilder is definitely exciting. You can't take your eyes off his fights because SOMETHING will definitely happen. Wlad is a vastly superior fighter, but he is much less exciting.

2. He is a magnificent athlete, good size, looks like a proper athlete with no fat. Good coordination.

3. He seems a classy enough guy, good jab, decent left hook and definitely big knockout power.

4. Unfortunately, he hasn't learned his trade. He has actually had very little ring time to learn to box properly and maximise his assets. I fear this will be his undoing as his defence under pressure was truly awful. He pulls back in a straight line, fends his opponent off with his arms and leans back from the shot with his chin out. You can get away with that for a while, but when he fights someone the same size as him I think he will get tagged

5. He is definitely vulnerable when he gets hit.

I quite like a Wilder, but I suspect his reign may not last long. Wlad would win easily, and I also rate Povetkin as a very good skilled technician. I think Pov might have a little bit too much for Deontay. Unless Wilder connects with an early bomb, I can't see how he beats the Russian. Can you imagine what someone like Vitali, Evander, Riddick or Iron Mike would have done to Wilder?.

Wilder is a bit like a HW Amir Khan IMO. He makes a lot of mistakes and will lose fights, but he will always make them fun. I think he gets sparked the minute he fights one of the big men as he goes back in straight lines and doesn't seem sturdy enough.

He's a shit champion in a shit heavyweight division.

My question is.... is Deontay Wilder teachable?

We all know his bad habits. He holds his hands too low... he moves straight back, his chin a target for a long-armed boxer... he looks amateurish when he goes for the kill, throwing any semblance of defense out the window and leaving himself wide open for a huge counter shot... his head movement leaves a lot to be desired... etc, etc. So can he be taught to correct those deficiencies?

For starters, he's got Mark Breland as a trainer. Now... I'm not gonna criticize the man because I haven't really seen him with other fighters, but.... one thing that struck me during the fight was how subdued Breland sounded. It's like the microphone would have to get really close to the man to be able to hear what he was saying to Wilder between rounds. I'm not saying he has to get in Wilder's face and become a screaming lunatic. But is he the one to help rid Wilder of his bad habits? Can he chew on Wilder's ear enough to improve him?

The raw material is there. Wilder is as athletic and powerful as any HW today. He can be harnessed. He's got raw talent, enthusiasm, and a lot of potential. But I think he needs a next level trainer, as well as some more rounds with credible competition, to bring that potential out.

I for one wish him well. I'm tired of seeing fat, blubbery heavyweights that look nothing like athletes, and those who have faced Wlad seem to cower into a shell.

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

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Originally Posted by Ron Swanson

Opinions of Deontay should be almost the same as on Friday. Sports fans tend to only look at what they last saw. That's silly. All evidence should be considered.

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OH, those myopic 'sports fans' again....looking at what they ~last~ saw....except that, what they "last" saw was the fight itself.

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Did you have an opinion?

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Originally Posted by TitoFan

My question is.... is Deontay Wilder teachable?

We all know his bad habits. He holds his hands too low... he moves straight back, his chin a target for a long-armed boxer... he looks amateurish when he goes for the kill, throwing any semblance of defense out the window and leaving himself wide open for a huge counter shot... his head movement leaves a lot to be desired... etc, etc. So can he be taught to correct those deficiencies?

For starters, he's got Mark Breland as a trainer. Now... I'm not gonna criticize the man because I haven't really seen him with other fighters, but.... one thing that struck me during the fight was how subdued Breland sounded. It's like the microphone would have to get really close to the man to be able to hear what he was saying to Wilder between rounds. I'm not saying he has to get in Wilder's face and become a screaming lunatic. But is he the one to help rid Wilder of his bad habits? Can he chew on Wilder's ear enough to improve him?

The raw material is there. Wilder is as athletic and powerful as any HW today. He can be harnessed. He's got raw talent, enthusiasm, and a lot of potential. But I think he needs a next level trainer, as well as some more rounds with credible competition, to bring that potential out.

I for one wish him well. I'm tired of seeing fat, blubbery heavyweights that look nothing like athletes, and those who have faced Wlad seem to cower into a shell.

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Good post. Wilder is smart and maybe he has it in him to curb his rawness, but he just seems far too green to be a champion which sounds strange of a man with over 30 fights. His ride to the top has been TOO easy and he should have been testing himself and adapting on the way up. Instead he focused on knocking out journeymen simply to pad a KO record. It might well be his undoing. However, unlike Amir Khan I like the chap and hope he can improve. He just isn't ready for a Wlad Klitschko yet and looks a bit awkward with his belt right now. The last fight should have been much easier than it was. He was lucky his opponent was game yet very limited.

Once again the Wbc is involved so we will see where that goes. They are obligated by the "rules" to start negotiations with Povetkin and then if its undecided go to a purse bid. I doubt Haymon can outbid the Russians so look for some weasel like reinterpretation of what was supposed to happen but didn't.

I think when a fighter is rocked like Wilder was, he does lose a little bit of his aura. He is very raw, and he will get away with that against 95% of the division and even in the fights where he may not be getting away win it, his power could get him out of trouble.

He still looks novice like when he lets his hands go but he somehow managed to generate great power.

A couple of weeks ago I was thinking that Joshua was a couple of years away from a Wilder fight, but I actually think if they went in together now it's a 50-50 fight. And in a year or so, forget about it. Joshua irons him out.

I thought the Atomic Windmill looked poor because Molina was in survival mode from the opening second, and Wilder came into the fight - like everyone else - thinking that a few solid clumps and it's goodnight Irene.

Joshua would iron him tomorrow let alone a years time.

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Originally Posted by ross

Wilder is supposed to be a massive puncher but Arreola stopped Molina in the first.

He struggled to control him.

Its more a case of this fight proved how poor Stiverne was.

Wilder will make for fun fights but hes not going to be a title holder for long. Oddly enough I still think he beats Povetkin with his height.

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molina was a lot more ambitious against arreola

he was there to survive against wilder

if he had had a bit more belief against wilder he might have caused a massive shock in the 3rd

The question should be how Molina would have done with the other top heavies.

We already know what Arreola would do to him.

Any video of Wilder getting rocked?

I think Wilder being raw is part of his aura. It gets a lot of guys who aren't technically good boxers off their games because there's this idea that Wilder will throw without regard to what might come back at him so it might make them wary of trying to counter him or set him up for a trap. I think his rawness plus his power is what has given him this "wow" factor....but you scratch the surface and he's just another boxer, get somebody in there with some guts someone not afraid to roll and counter against him, someone not intimidated by his size, someone who knows they will be safer in the pocket against him vs on the outside and then you'll see Deontay struggle.

I think Povetkin has a great chance to upset the apple cart here, he has to be thinking if Molina can catch Wilder let alone hurt him then Alex can knock him down and if he can knock him down then it's likely he can knock him out.

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Originally Posted by ross

The question should be how Molina would have done with the other top heavies.

We already know what Arreola would do to him.

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Styles make fights , Arreola beat Molina , Stiverne beat Arreola , Wilder beat Stiverne.

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Originally Posted by TitoFan

My question is.... is Deontay Wilder teachable?

We all know his bad habits. He holds his hands too low... he moves straight back, his chin a target for a long-armed boxer... he looks amateurish when he goes for the kill, throwing any semblance of defense out the window and leaving himself wide open for a huge counter shot... his head movement leaves a lot to be desired... etc, etc. So can he be taught to correct those deficiencies?

For starters, he's got Mark Breland as a trainer. Now... I'm not gonna criticize the man because I haven't really seen him with other fighters, but.... one thing that struck me during the fight was how subdued Breland sounded. It's like the microphone would have to get really close to the man to be able to hear what he was saying to Wilder between rounds. I'm not saying he has to get in Wilder's face and become a screaming lunatic. But is he the one to help rid Wilder of his bad habits? Can he chew on Wilder's ear enough to improve him?

The raw material is there. Wilder is as athletic and powerful as any HW today. He can be harnessed. He's got raw talent, enthusiasm, and a lot of potential. But I think he needs a next level trainer, as well as some more rounds with credible competition, to bring that potential out.

I for one wish him well. I'm tired of seeing fat, blubbery heavyweights that look nothing like athletes, and those who have faced Wlad seem to cower into a shell.

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Breland, while on paper he is the head trainer, Jay Deas is the one that Wilder listens to during fights. Breland is just there to help preparation and pre-fight conditioning. Jay Deas is the real corner man.

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Originally Posted by ykdadamaja

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Originally Posted by TitoFan

My question is.... is Deontay Wilder teachable?

We all know his bad habits. He holds his hands too low... he moves straight back, his chin a target for a long-armed boxer... he looks amateurish when he goes for the kill, throwing any semblance of defense out the window and leaving himself wide open for a huge counter shot... his head movement leaves a lot to be desired... etc, etc. So can he be taught to correct those deficiencies?

For starters, he's got Mark Breland as a trainer. Now... I'm not gonna criticize the man because I haven't really seen him with other fighters, but.... one thing that struck me during the fight was how subdued Breland sounded. It's like the microphone would have to get really close to the man to be able to hear what he was saying to Wilder between rounds. I'm not saying he has to get in Wilder's face and become a screaming lunatic. But is he the one to help rid Wilder of his bad habits? Can he chew on Wilder's ear enough to improve him?

The raw material is there. Wilder is as athletic and powerful as any HW today. He can be harnessed. He's got raw talent, enthusiasm, and a lot of potential. But I think he needs a next level trainer, as well as some more rounds with credible competition, to bring that potential out.

I for one wish him well. I'm tired of seeing fat, blubbery heavyweights that look nothing like athletes, and those who have faced Wlad seem to cower into a shell.

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Breland, while on paper he is the head trainer, Jay Deas is the one that Wilder listens to during fights. Breland is just there to help preparation and pre-fight conditioning. Jay Deas is the real corner man.

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Yeah but what does he say exactly when they mic the corner? In all seriousness you could stick Mr Potato Head in there atop a button box and most likely get the same results. Lets be honest here, Wilder is on borrowed time and is milking it with his athletic ability and not his boxing fundamentals.
That was a nice score against Stiverne but even a busted clock is right twice a day.

Does other sports have such amnesiac fans as boxing does?
What HOF'er HW hasn't been tested by an average Joe?
There is a thread here about how Bruno outclassed Lennox.

Paul Phillips, Riddick Bowe & Razor Ruddock all stopped Mike Dokes 4 or less, while Holyfield went life and death with Dokes taking ten rounds. Holy as a result was called a blown up cruiser...now you guys act as if Holy was bombing out everyone.

Some guy named uh....Wladimir K....didn't get rocked by a journeyman....he got knocked the fuck out by one.

Cassius Clay needed a ripped glove to survive his journeyman scare.

Joe Louis got outboxed and beat up by Conn LHW yet the history books call him a great.

Marciano damn near got his nose ripped out the socket by a nobody before winning.

Same with Wilder.

Every weight class has a great that wasn't challenged by a great but a nobody. Be it Pac man Agapito Sanchez, Cotto against Ricardo Tores...Same with Wilder.

These are the fights where Deontay has to hone his skills, you can't wait till he fights a Wlad to do it.

And no damn HW got to the title as a perfected warrior.

Wilder won by knockout and you guys criticize what occurred in what? One Round?

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Originally Posted by Dark Lord Al

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Originally Posted by ross

The question should be how Molina would have done with the other top heavies.

We already know what Arreola would do to him.

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Styles make fights , Arreola beat Molina , Stiverne beat Arreola , Wilder beat Stiverne.

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Maybe but I never rated Stiverne. Maybe he just out toughed Arreola but Molina gets beaten sooner by every other heavy.

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Originally Posted by IamInuit

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Originally Posted by ykdadamaja

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Originally Posted by TitoFan

My question is.... is Deontay Wilder teachable?

We all know his bad habits. He holds his hands too low... he moves straight back, his chin a target for a long-armed boxer... he looks amateurish when he goes for the kill, throwing any semblance of defense out the window and leaving himself wide open for a huge counter shot... his head movement leaves a lot to be desired... etc, etc. So can he be taught to correct those deficiencies?

For starters, he's got Mark Breland as a trainer. Now... I'm not gonna criticize the man because I haven't really seen him with other fighters, but.... one thing that struck me during the fight was how subdued Breland sounded. It's like the microphone would have to get really close to the man to be able to hear what he was saying to Wilder between rounds. I'm not saying he has to get in Wilder's face and become a screaming lunatic. But is he the one to help rid Wilder of his bad habits? Can he chew on Wilder's ear enough to improve him?

The raw material is there. Wilder is as athletic and powerful as any HW today. He can be harnessed. He's got raw talent, enthusiasm, and a lot of potential. But I think he needs a next level trainer, as well as some more rounds with credible competition, to bring that potential out.

I for one wish him well. I'm tired of seeing fat, blubbery heavyweights that look nothing like athletes, and those who have faced Wlad seem to cower into a shell.

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Breland, while on paper he is the head trainer, Jay Deas is the one that Wilder listens to during fights. Breland is just there to help preparation and pre-fight conditioning. Jay Deas is the real corner man.

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Yeah but what does he say exactly when they mic the corner? In all seriousness you could stick Mr Potato Head in there atop a button box and most likely get the same results. Lets be honest here, Wilder is on borrowed time and is milking it with his athletic ability and not his boxing fundamentals.
That was a nice score against Stiverne but even a busted clock is right twice a day.

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Boxing fundamentals can be taught, practiced, and learned. Power, speed and athleticism can't. Which is why I think Wilder needs a next level trainer and he needs him now. If Wilder was a clumsy oaf who couldn't get out of the way of his own feet. Or if he had no power... or if the interest just wasn't there.... then I'd say it's a lost cause. But Wilder is like an unpolished diamond. All the necessary attributes are somewhere in there.... he just needs the right person(s) to bring them out.

Maybe the best thing that could happen to Wilder's career right about now is a loss.
Seriously.

While he's knocking people out with poor fundamentals, he's not gonna feel the need to change anything. Eventually that's gonna catch up with him. If he's really dedicated to the sport, and I've seen no reason to think otherwise, then he'll be willing to learn and make the adjustments necessary to continue getting better. Hell... he himself said repeatedly he's a work in progress during the post-fight interview on Saturday. Those adjustments could even mean a change in trainer, if necessary. He certainly won't the first to do it.

IMO he still has enough tools to beat Tyson Fury. But beating Wlad is a whole 'nother story. The way he fought Stiverne had me hoping.... but the way he fought Molina brought me back to Earth.

I worked the weekend so I'm watching the fight for the fight time right now. Looking forward to it. I know Deontay won but I like to watch him regardless.

Alright, I see a lot of what you guys are saying but I'm still big on Deontay. He got hurt, but took it in stride and recovered quickly. He also did that dope a rope thing for about thirty seconds where he was just eating punches with earmuffs on, made me a bit puzzled. The dudes power can't be denied. You are right, he still has a lot to work on but he's in a good position to do so. I'd love to see Deontay make it to the top. Actually, on these boards a large amount of criticism has been dolled out upon him since he arrived on the scene, be it his chicken legs, opponents, chin and everything else one could mention. The thing is a lot of what was said here had him written off some time ago and yet here he is. To be honest, I expect him to make the needed improvements and I think he'll be around for quite a while. Now I still need to watch both the Cotto and Khan fights. Was Cotto on network or was it HBO. Working fourty hours in three days over the weekend is completely ruining my enjoyment of boxing.

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Originally Posted by ross

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Originally Posted by Dark Lord Al

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Originally Posted by ross

The question should be how Molina would have done with the other top heavies.

We already know what Arreola would do to him.

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Styles make fights , Arreola beat Molina , Stiverne beat Arreola , Wilder beat Stiverne.

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Maybe but I never rated Stiverne. Maybe he just out toughed Arreola but Molina gets beaten sooner by every other heavy.

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I truly believe now that Stiverne really was sick on the night of the fight. I also believe he had the wrong game plan, and especially post Wilder/Molina when we see the benefits of going to the body of Wilder means to weakening him.

Stiverne should fight more regularly