To proclaim that Deontay Wilder is inaugurating a new golden age comparable to the era of Ali and Frazier, is not only premature, it may also be delusional?
Saturday night at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (38-0, 37 KOs), ?The Bronze Bomber? from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, stopped Gerald ?El Gallo Negro? Washington (18-1, 12 KOs), from Vallejo, California, scoring a TKO at 1:45 of the fifth round.
Fighting out of the blue corner in black trunks trimmed in silver, Wilder did was he needed to do to win the fight in a decisive manner, but he had not won a round until he caught his opponent with a right hand to the temple that dropped him.
Washington, fighting out of the red corner in gold trunks, presented more of a challenge than expected. He is slow and inexperienced, but at least he was willing to let his hands go, unlike Wilder who was right-hand happy and looking for the KO.
The first round was a feeling-out round with both fighters playing it safe. Rather than use his long jab to get inside, Wilder was already headhunting, looking to land the bomb that would end it, while Washington was busier and landed more punches, however ineffective those punches proved to be.
Washington controlled the second round. Working behind the jab, he was able to catch the gun-shy Wilder upstairs and down. Wilder for his part wasn?t throwing enough and for an ostensible machine bent on destruction, he was not jabbing. He also does not bob and weave to avoid punches. He pulls back, ala Ali, or scurries out of harm?s way.
Wilder began fighting a bit more in round three. He landed a right, a couple of stinging jabs, and a nice combination, but he was still doing more feinting than fighting, which was perhaps strategic, as Washington extended his lead on the scorecards.
In the fourth Wilder upped his output. He landed an ineffective hook, but was telegraphing his punches. He connected with a left to the body followed by a lazy jab. He was obviously biding his life before he could sneak in a right hand to end it. But it was, at least thus far, an uninspired, indifferent performance.
Round five was Washington?s Waterloo. Just past the halfway point in the round, Wilder landed a booming right to the temple, followed by a left look and Washington went down. The inexperience challenger scurried to his feet instead of taking the count and Wilder finally let his hands go, now that Washington was defenseless. The referee Michael Griffin stepped in, perhaps prematurely, and waved it off.
Wilder did what he needed to do, did what he does. Although it was a substandard performance, even by his standards, Wilder put a gloss on his performance.
?I knew he was going to come in excited to fight for a world title,? he said. ?I just kept calm and found my rhythm. I knew he was going to tire out, and when he did, I took advantage.
?It was all about timing. I?m very smart in the ring when it comes to using different tactics.?
I?m not sure what those ?different tactics? were, and Wilder wasn?t asked so we?ll never know.
All of us in the sport want boxing to flourish and superlatives are fine up to a point. But to proclaim that Deontay Wilder, along with Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker, is inaugurating a new golden age comparable to the era of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, is not only premature, it may also be delusional. Optimism, in whatever form, is always welcome, but it does not trump reality, not that it matters, not that anyone knows enough anymore to even notice.
