The heavyweight champion of the world, Deontay Wilder, is back to knocking opponents out. He finished off Eric Molina in the ninth round on Saturday in front of a sold out Alabama crowd.
Wilder actually had quite a few problems in this fight with Eric Molina. Molina was a very game challenger and I think that if he would have been able to put combinations together, this would have been a very interesting fight. Early in the fight, Wilder seemed to be going right hand crazy. His hands were low and you knew that he was going to throw the right hand. Molina landed a beautiful uppercut at the end of the first round that really got Wilder's attention. In the third round, Eric Molina rocked Wilder and had him looking like a newborn deer in there. Why Molina didn't throw more punches or try to press him after that is anyones guess.
Wilder got his bearings back in the next round and started using his jab very effectively. The other thing he did effectively as the fight went on is to become a two handed fighter. Wilder dropped Molina with a perfect left hook as the fourth round came to a close. Wilder knocked Molina down two more times in the 5th.
Molina showed a ton of heart in this fight and one couldn't help but think that if he had a little more skill we may be looking at a new champion.
The end came in the ninth when Wilder landed a big right hand that floored Molina for the final time as referee Jack Reiss stopped the fight immediately upon the knockdown. All in all it was a good learning experience for Wilder and Eric Molina has absolutely nothing to hang his head about in this fight. He did an amazing job and showed a ton of heart in there.
Up next for Wilder will be the mandatory challenger - Alexander Povetkin.
