By James Slater – Just three weeks on from his last fight – an entertaining if one-sided stoppage win over a game Daniel Cota on the under-card of the classic war that was James Kirkland’s thrilling upset win over Alfredo Angulo – heavyweight hope Deontay Wilder will box again. “The Bronze Bomber,” 19-0(19) will face Cincinnati’s David Long in a scheduled eight-rounder on the under-card of the Adrien Broner-Vicente Martin Rodriguez vacant WBO 130-pound title fight headliner that will go down in Ohio on Nov. 26th..
It’s great that 26-year-old Wilder is staying active, and Long has an okay-looking record at 11-1-2(7), but it cannot be denied that another “safe” opponent has been picked for the 2008 Olympian. Long is 39-years-old, he is a smallish heavyweight and he has to his name just five wins over men who faced him whilst sporting winning records. Stopped inside a round by a 4-12-2 Mike Miller in his sole loss back in 2008, Long has won five and drawn two since.
Active this year, with a draw and a points win, Long will likely enter the ring in shape, but how long (!) can he be expected to last with the 6’7,” 84” wannabe star with the classy moves? Wilder has yet to be taken past the 4th-round – partly due to his skills, partly due to his being so matched soft. Long can hit some, and he may come out swinging as Mexico’s Cota did last time out, but it will almost certainly be one-way traffic once again.
Wilder is looking the part and he unquestionably has talent, but at the rate he’s going he’s going to be something like 35-0 before he even faces a top name/contender. At his age, Wilder certainly has plenty of time on his side, but how about at least a little step up in quality? Wilder’s last five foes had a combined 41 defeats, and this gives you some idea of how carefully the man from Tuscaloosa, Alabama is being moved. Do his people know something we don’t?
Look for another quick stoppage win for the amateur standout, with Long being lucky to last beyond the 3rd-round. For the record, this will be Wilder’s sixth bout of the year. But is the young talent learning anything?