By Ian S Palmer
Undefeated WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder be defending his title for the first time when he takes on fellow American Eric Molina of in Wilder’s home state of Alabama. The 12-round fight from Birmingham can be seen live in the U.S. on Showtime while fans in the UK can catch it on Sky Sports. Wilder became the first American heavyweight to in close to a decade own a portion of the title when he beat Bermaine Stiverne of Haiti by decision in January. Molina definitely isn’t an opponent most fans wanted to see Wilder face, but the champion needs to stay active.
The 29-year-old Wilder of Tuscaloosa, Alabama is basically well known for two things, which are his size and his power. He stands 6-feeet-7-inches tall, has an 83-inch reach, and carries a record of 33-0 along with 32 Kos. The only opponent to stand up to him so far in the pros has been Stiverne. The 33-year-old Molina of Raymondville, Texas has decent size and power too at 6-foot-4 with a 79-inch reach and a record of 23-2 along with 17 Kos. Molina has a slight advantage in pro experience with 95 rounds under his belt since turning pro in 2007 while Wilder turned pro in 2008 and has fought 70 rounds.
Wilder’s knockout percentage stands at 97 per cent while Molina’s is 68. Therefore, most fans aren’t expecting this bout to go the distance. However, they also believed the Wilder vs Stiverne fight would end in a stoppage too and it went to a unanimous decision. That win by Wilder made him the first American heavyweight since 2007 to win a world belt. Shannon Briggs was the last to do it. Molina may have the power to make Wilder take notice, but his chin is quite susceptible as his two losses have both been by KO. They also both came in the first round when Chris Arreola dropped him in 2012 and Ashanti Jordan stopped him in back in 2007 in Molina’s pro debut.
Molina biggest wins up to now have been against the likes of DaVarryl Williamson and Tony Grano, so he should count himself lucky that he’s getting a shot at a world title. None of Wilder’s 32 Ko victims went past the fourth round and it’s likely Molina will join that group come Saturday night unless he can land something hard and heavy before Wilder does. However, Wilder showed some fine boxing skills, defence, movement and a good chin against Stiverne. Molina’s best chance here is to try and land a big right hand as soon as possible and if he’s successful, just keep on throwing them.
Wilder will need to establish his jab and just wait for the opportunity to throw his power shots. If Molina manages to stand up to them, the champion will simply be able to use his boxing skills to rack up the points. If it turns into an unexpected boxing match Molina will have to use his jab to work his way on the inside of the taller champion. If he can get close to Wilder he needs to make it an ugly fight and simply hope for the best.
Prediction
Wilder may indeed have some weaknesses n his game, but Molina isn’t the man to expose them. The challenger’s only chance really is to land a bomb flush on Wilder’s jaw and hope that he crumbles. That’s not likely to happen though. Look for Wilder to successfully defend his crown with a stoppage in the first half of the fight.
