Re: Can 'Wilder' ~foreman~ his way to a "Lennox"reign?
It depends (when will the reign start?
)
Foreman had a formula (size+ demeanor +athleticism) that worked against most everyone he was facing at the time. Who else during that era pulls off what Ali did in Zaire? Foreman believed in himself. Wilder is just buying his own hype and milking it for publicity.
Lewis understood that he couldn't fight everyone that same way. Limited fighters (old tyson, Tua, could be outboxed or picked apart in a chess like fashion; some guys that were closer to his dimension could still be outboxed (mavrovic, akinwande); and there were other guys (some close to dimensions, athleticism, hungry) he couldn't let build any momentum so it was important to jump them and establish a pace early (golota--based on the bowe fights; briggs who did good for a minute ; a greenie like Grant). Wilder is less savvy on competition.
Wilder is fed a diet of almosts and never haves with the exception of stiverne (and his un stiverne-esque performance). He could have taken on a weathered arreola for an impressive knockout win, but instead chose to fight the unknown Frenchman for a anticlimactic showcase because i think he knows as underperforming as arreola can be, he still knows/remembers enough to cash in on a giftwrapped opportunity. After foreman's 1st ko loss, he wailed away on five bums like the ones wilder is choosing, trying to prove he was still a bad mofo.
After Wilders first KO loss, the hype will end and Wilder will try to look for a brief comeback (he has the heart to get up, but deep down....I don't think he has a tolerance for the pain or the brutality--Savagery is easy when you're the one holding the axe but once someone puts him down, it'll be open season and guys will be lining up-- in fact its a kind of mystery why noone has spent a camp practicing slipping the jab, right hand, stepping around and dropping the right hand over the top and starching this kid- as much as im not a david haye fan-- i think he was milking the hell out of it in a sparring session if anyone can find it.)...
After Wilder has gotten a taste, he'll then realize its better to find a smart place to invest his money. -- This is just my opinion of course.... I could be wrong.
They want your @$$ beat because upsets make news. News brings about excitement, excitement brings about ratings. The objective is to bring you up to the tower and tear your @$$ down. And if you don't believe that, you're crazy.
Roy Jones, Jr. "What I've Learned," Esquire 2003
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