Heavyweight Prospect Deontay Wilder
Olympic Boxing Bronze Medalist Advancing
After the fight was stopped just three minutes in, Richard Greene Jr. was walking in the hall outside the boxing ring, holding an ice bag to his right hand as he contorted his face in pain.
He was asked what he thought about the man he had fought earlier in the evening – 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Deontay Wilder, an emerging heavyweight prospect.
“He’s pretty good,” Greene said. “He’s a little light right now, but he’s good.”
Told Wilder, who weighed in at 216 pounds, wanted to gain another 10 pounds or so, Greene said, “Yeah, that would really help him.”
Deontay Wilder Learning to Box
For now, Wilder learns as much as he can. After winning a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics – he was the only American boxer to earn hardware in Beijing – Wilder has embarked on a pro career. After scoring a technical knockout against Greene in March 2009 – Greene broke his hand in the first round and couldn’t continue into the second – Wilder improved to 3-0 with three knockouts.
But the learning for Tuscaloosa, Ala.’s Wilder continues.
“I never want to get to a point in my career where I’m not learning,” Wilder said. “If you think you know it all, that’s going to be your downfall. I never want to be so comfortable with myself. I’m always going to be an open ear.”
Inexperienced but Hungry
Aside from gaining weight – he was outweighed by 138 pounds when facing Greene – Wilder is continuing to learn the art of boxing. The key, he says, is listening to his corner as his coaches shout instructions to him in between rounds. Michael Hunter, a teammate on the 2008 Olympics team, said his ability to learn will continue to aid his development.
“On the team, he had the most growing to do with his boxing ability,” Hunter said. “But he’s very strong and he works very hard. He hits hard, and he likes to learn. He’s big, and he already has a lot of strengths there already. If he has the right trainer and gets moved correctly, I think he can go far.”
Manager Shelly Finkel and Wilder
Famed boxing manager Shelly Finkel sat ringside and watched as Wilder pummeled Greene through most of the first round. Although the fight ended prematurely, he was pleased with Wilder’s performance and is optimistic about his future.
“He looked very good,” Finkel said. “We have him on a four-year program. We’re trying to get his rhythm going. He’s such a great athlete. We want to get him more experience so he can learn.”
What do you think about this article?
Latest Articles