Friday night on ShoBox, broadcast live from Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California, unbeaten heavyweight hopeful Deontay ?The Bronze Bomber? Wilder (28-0, 28 KOs) returns to action against 37-year-old Siarhei ?White Wolf? Liakhovich (25-5, 16 KOs).
Liakhovich will soon be the most prominent name on Wilder?s ledger to join the long list of victims starched by the giant from Tuscaloosa. Those who tune in can expect a knockout. Nothing less will do. Nothing less will happen.
The complaints about Wilder?s level of competition are legitimate and deserve to be heard. Being critical where criticism is justified isn?t anti-boxing. It?s anti-mismatch and hence pro-boxing. Wilder?s supporters counter than he had almost no amateur experience when he won bronze at the 2008 Olympics and he is getting that experience now.
We?re now at five years and counting.
Granted, it?s a mistake to rush a fighter, especially when he?s only 27. We all know how a loss compromises marketability. But those of us not in the marketing business or members of Team Wilder want him to fight some live competition, and the sooner the better.
The Belarusian White Wolf is presumably live competition, especially when compared to Audley Harrison and Matthew Greer, the last two men Wilder iced. Liakhovich is a former WBO heavyweight champion, having defeated Lamon Brewster to win the title way back in 2006. But it?s been very much hit or miss since then, with his opponents doing most of the hitting and Liakhovich doing most the missing, as he has lost four of his last six fights, to Shannon Briggs in 2006, Nicolay Valuev in 2008, Robert Helenius in 2011, and Bryant Jennings in 2012.
Those who believe Liakhovich has a chance against Wilder must be related to the Scottsdale native by blood or money. And if he doesn?t have a chance, by what twisted logic does he deserve to be in the ring with him? Do we need another exhibition of Wilder?s power against an over-the-hill fighter? Haven?t we had ample demonstration of that already? Is our bloodlust as indiscriminate as it appears, or is that too an illusion?
To generate interest in this bout, former heavyweight contender Jameel McCline, who has sparred with Wilder, claims that he is the ?hardest puncher I have ever been in with.? That may be. No one questions Wilder?s power. It?s the snail?s pace at which he is being brought along that is troubling, made even more troubling by having retreads like Liakhovich served on a silver platter for The Bronze Bomber to feast on.
