Wilder ? Far From Invincible?

Over in Alabama at the weekend, Deontay Wilder bludgeoned his way to a first defence of his WBC heavyweight title.

Wilder, the first American heavyweight champion since 2008, has the physique and punching power to trouble most opponents but on the evidence of his display against Molina on Saturday night, whereby he was forced to go nine rounds before stopping his man, he is far from being the finished article.

When throwing his big punches Wilder has the habit of looping in his bombs from wide angles but also has the tendency to stick his chin out, leaving him wide open to a powerful counter-punch.

Now whether Wilder has the punch resistance to shake off the odd blow or two remains to be seen. Against Molina he was caught flush on the chin but appeared to be unruffled and unfazed, but is Molina a big-puncher?

Wilder is no novice in the ring, his record whereby he?s knocked out all but one of his opponents suggests there is power in those fists, but then again some would say his management team have done a wonderful job of feeding him the kind of fodder that most top-rated heavyweight fighters would blow away.

But, as a reigning world title holder, Wilder cannot avoid the classy guys of the division now, a mandatory defence awaits against an opponent many believe could de-rail the American dream of having somebody who could dominate the division just like Ali, Frazier and Foreman did.

Also, here in the United Kingdom, we have a whole host of heavyweights coming through the ranks, and at differing stages of development, that must look at Wilder and be begging for a chance to face him, Tyson Fury (if he wasn?t so intent on his day of destiny with Wladimir Klitschko), David Price and the emerging talent that is Anthony Joshua, are just three that spring to mind.

Sadly, for Wilder, unless his defence is tightened up, his reign could come to an end as soon as he meets the first world-class operative who has a solid chin and can also dig, Povetkin anyone?