Right now there are a lot of boxing fans and members of the media who have serious doubts about WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (34-0, 33 KOs) being able to hold onto his WBC heavyweight title for very much longer. Wilder’s performance last night against Eric Molina (23-3, 17 KOs) was arguably one of the worst performances by a heavyweight world champion in many years.
Deontay Wilder
Deontay Wilder boxing news
Deontay Wilder Stops Eric Molina, Wins By Knockout In Front Of Sell Out Crowd In Alabama
In the first title fight in the state of Alabama, Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (34-0, 33 KOs), had to work harder than expected before dismantling Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina (23-3, 17 KOs) with a ninth round knockout Saturday night in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® live on SHOWTIME.
Wilder stops Molina
WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (34-0, 33 KOs) looked like a novice amateur tonight in having to work harder than expected to stop a very limited Eric Molina (23-3, 17 KOs) in the 9th round at the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. Wilder took the 33-year-old Molina out with a chopping right hand to the head in the 9th.
This was one of four knockdowns that Wilder scored in the fight. Referee Jack Reiss stopped the fight at 1:03 of the 9th when it was clear that Molina was too hurt to get back to his feet.
Interestingly enough, the fight was actually competitive at times. Molina buzzed Wilder with a left hook to the head in the 3rd round, and he was in the position to finish Wilder off if he’d put some punches together after hurting him.
Wilder Promising Knockout Performance
When Deontay Wilder steps through the ropes on Saturday to make the maiden defence of his WBC heavyweight title, those who follow boxing with a little bit more fervour than the man-in-the-street, will realize they are about to witness what should be nothing more than routine business for the big-punching Alabama born man.
Fighting in his home state, which will incidentally be hosting it’s first ever world title fight, “The Bronze Bomber” has promised his hometown fans that they will see a knockout performance from the man who has stopped all of his opponents – with the exception of Bermane Stiverne back in January.
Deontay Wilder – Eric Molina quotes for Showtime
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (June 10, 2015) – Unbeaten Heavyweight World Champion Deontay Wilder, heavyweight challenger Eric Molina, along with co-headliners Puerto Rican junior lightweight Jose Pedraza and Russian amateur standout Andrey Klimov, kicked off fight week working out for the press at Round 1 Gym in Birmingham, Ala. in advance of their SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® bouts this Saturday, June 13, live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.
Also in attendance Wednesday were, undefeated world-ranked contenders Ivan “El Terrible” Redkach and Dejan “El Dinamita” Zlaticanin, who will square off in a 12-round eliminator earlier that night in the main event of SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME® (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).
Born To Be Wilder: 10 Things You Should Know About Heavyweight Champ Deontay Wilder
To kickoff fight week events, below are 10 fast facts you should know about Deontay Wilder (with his comments):
1. He has spent more than 1,000 hours getting tattoos covering his body, including one of the WBC heavyweight championship belt on his left thigh …
Deontay Wilder : Boxing Needs Me To Take Over
Ahead of his clash with unheralded challenger Eric Molina on Saturday, Alabama’s WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has spoken out to Sky Sports – who will be showing the fight in the UK – to promote the contest and talk about not only the future of the heavyweight division, but the future of boxing generally – something he feels he is ready to be the new star of following Floyd Mayweather’s inevitable retirement from the sport.
He said;
“Floyd Mayweather seems to be coming to the end and boxing needs an exciting new face to take over. I believe I can be that exciting new face.”
Audio: Deontay Wilder talks Eric Molina fight
Eric Molina – We’re very excited about the fight, the opportunity to go down to Alabama. We know it’s going to be a very hectic environment down there, very uncomfortable environment, but Wilder is the champion, and he gets to enjoy all these privileges of all the guidelines of where we fight and all the logistics of it, so we’re excited for the opportunity to fight for the heavyweight world title and we are very prepared.
Training camp is going extremely well. We’re closing up our training camp on Saturday, and we should be ready to go down to Alabama on Monday. Everything’s looking very good, and we’re ready to go.
L. DiBella Thank you, Eric. Fight week, next week, there’ll be a slew of events leading up to the fight, including a workout on Wednesday and a public weigh-in on Friday. I’d like people to follow AlabamaTitleFight.com for all details as they’re updated, including a lot of details about stuff that’s open to the public and that the people of Birmingham can enjoy during fight week, so that’s www.AlabamaTitleFight.com.
Deontay Wilder’s Gimme Fight – Wilder v Molina
I’ve said it countless times before. Deontay Wilder is a fighter I really WANT to like and after winning his WBC title in January against Bermane Stiverne, I’d taken baby steps toward that in terms of the Bronze Bomber answering some of the questions that fans had about him – most notably his 12 round engine and ability to take a shot.
So I joined everybody else groaning in despair at his ‘gimme’ defence against Eric Molina that has been picked up Sky Sports in the UK as opposed to Boxnation – and found myself laughing out loud at the title of the Showsports press release this morning – encaptioned ‘Deontay Wilder Hopes Eric Molina Fights Back on June 13.’
Deontay Wilder hopes Eric Molina fights back on June 13th
NEW YORK (June 1, 2015) – Unbeaten Heavyweight World Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, confident heavyweight contender Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina and unbeaten junior lightweight Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza participated in Media Day Workouts last Thursday for their fights Saturday, June 13, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.
The power-punching, popular hometown favorite Wilder (33-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., will make the first defense of his title when he meets Molina (23-2, 17 KOs), of Raymondville, Texas, in the main event on June 13. Pedraza (19-0, 12 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, will meet Andrey Klimov (19-1, 9 KOs), of Klimovski, Russia, in a 12-rounder for the vacant IBF Junior Lightweight World Championship in the co-feature.