IT’S no secret that Deontay Wilder has one of the fiercest punches in the fight game.
The Bronze Bomber has floored 41 of his 43 opponents, to record a 95.3% knockout percentage that makes him one of the most lethal boxers ever.
Deontay Wilder has the fiercest punch in boxing, according to his opponentsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Ahead of his rematch with Tyson Fury on February 22 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, SunSport rounds up what his famous sparring partners and opponents have said about the Alabama native’s punching power.
TYSON FURY
“IT’S no secret that [Anthony] Joshua did not want this fight,” Fury said after his surviving his first bout with Wilder in 2018, which saw the Gypsy King floored brutally in the 12th.
“And he didn’t want it for a reason. Because Deontay Wilder is the most fiercest puncher in boxing history, in heavyweight division history.
“And I saw that and I felt it. No wonder AJ didn’t want no part of that right hand.
“He can’t move like me, he would have been nailed.
“As easy as I got up [in the 12th], I may never have got up. That was the type of punch that sometimes people won’t wake up from.
“Especially hitting me with a right hand and as I was going down he hit me with a left hook as well.
“So that should have been concrete, good night Vienna.
“But the Gypsy King rose like a phoenix from the ashes off the canvas to rally back from the 12th and it was an epic round.”
Tyson Fury was floored in the 12th round by a Wilder punchCredit: AP:Associated Press
Somehow, Fury managed to get up from Wilder’s punchCredit: Getty Images – Getty
DAVID HAYE
“I’VE sparred with Deontay Wilder many times,” Haye revealed, also recalling Wilder’s destructive right-hand and firm chin.
“He’s got a very, very, very, hard right hand and it’s an equaliser.
“I’ve hit Deontay Wilder on the chin with shots that would have knocked out most heavyweights and he’s been able to stay on his feet.
“He may get buzzed, but he’s still on his feet and he was firing back.
“I brought him into camp, prior to the Wladimir Klitschko fight when he was younger. He’s always been really good, he’s always been fast.
“He’s given me probably the most competitive rounds I’ve ever had in sparring.
“I always really respected him, from the first sparring session I ever had with him, I knew this guy was something special.
“His punch power is 10 out of 10, that’s it. I don’t know how else to say it. You know when you’ve been hit by him. It’s very different to anyone else.
“He is the hardest puncher I’ve ever been in the ring with.”
David Haye sparred with the Bronze Bomber and said he had a good chin tooCredit: Reuters
AUDLEY HARRISON
OLYMPIC gold medallist Harrison also sparred with Wilder, revealing he almost had his eye out with one punch.
“Hard as nails,” he said.
“I had him in camp for sparring a year before we fought and he was over for about five weeks to prepare me for David Price.
“He almost had my eye out in sparring one day – he caught me with this shot and it nearly detached my retina and suddenly I had to stop training for eight or nine days.
“Aside from the power, Wilder is unique. He is very tall, very fast and very unorthodox in how he moves – you cannot pin him down.
“He can actually be quite ungainly but he is effective because he has that explosive hand speed.
“His punches come at you so fast – when the right hand caught me that ended the fight, I didn’t even see it coming.
“The punch came at such an unusual angle and so fast there was no getting out the way.
“One thing people don’t usually say about him and they should is that his jab is very good. But that right hand is the thing.
“With Wilder, it’s not just that power but it’s the explosive speed that he has that can just send you to sleep.
“He can knock you out with the jab and with the right hand.”
Audley Harrison sparred and fought Wilder through the yearsCredit: Mark Robinson – The Sun
Harrison could not believe the strength of Wilder’s right hookCredit: Getty Images – Getty
LUIS ORTIZ
THECuban heavyweight has stepped into the ring twice with Wilder, and was Fury’s opponent’s last victim.
“His right hand is more powerful then one could imagine,” Ortiz told Business Insider.
“His power is like a whip type of punch, like Thomas Hearns. He’s got long arms ya know.
“Wilder is the best heavyweight of this millennium … [and] deserves everything he gets, he’s earned that in the ring.”
Luis Ortiz has twice felt Wilders wrath in the ringCredit: Getty – Contributor
Ortiz was out cold after a Wilder punchCredit: EPA
Ortiz has called Wilder the best fighter of the millenniumCredit: AP:Associated Press
MALIK SCOTT
IN 2014, Scott was floored in the first round by a rampaging Wilder, who was baying for blood. The pair also used to spar together.
“Deontay is very unorthodox, has huge power, more agility than most and is probably the fastest heavyweight on the planet,” he told the Daily Mail.
“And he is mean – really mean.
“I have boxed with Deontay 10 years – sparring and in our fight – and his skill is underrated.
“People don’t want to believe he is this good, but believe me, he is.
“When we fought he caught me on the temple with a left hook and then a right down the middle.
“People say they weren’t clean hits but he has that power to put you on the ground.
“In the ring he is a hard guy to predict. He can box but he can go berserk, go wild, you know.
“He goes beyond Mike Tyson in some ways – Tyson would sometimes let someone take a clinch on him and take his time on them.
“Deontay doesn’t do that. He doesn’t let you waste the clock, he gets straight on you, tries to smash you.”
Malik Scott was knocked out in the first round by WilderCredit: Action Images – Reuters
JOHANN DUHAUPAS
FRENCHMAN Duhaupas made Wilder work for 11 rounds in 2015, before he was pummelled into submission.
“This was my first fight of this level and I was really impressed,” he revealed.
“I faced a boxer they were selling like the new Mike Tyson and who had knocked out all his opponents so it was enough to make me hesitate before accepting.
“His confidence in himself is his biggest strength. He has a big heart and of course a lot of punch — more than any opponent I ever met in combat or in sparring.
“There’s no question he is the hardest puncher in the division.
“His biggest weakness is his passion. He wants it all so he makes mistakes and exposes himself — he did it against me and he has shown that against Luis Ortiz and Eric Molina, but his power has always saved him.”
Frenchman Johann Duhaupas made Wilder work for 11 roundsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
GERALD WASHINGTON
“HE’S hurt a lot of guys,” Washington, who was defeated by Wilder in 2017 by TKO, said.
“He didn’t catch me like he caught (Bermane) Stiverne and some other guys where it was scary. I’m grateful I didn’t get caught like that.
“I’m not going to say he’s the hardest puncher ever or anything like that but he has crack in his shots.
“And he does it with both hands. They say watch out for his right hand but he almost took Tyson Fury’s head off with a left hook.
“When he throws with all his might, when he lets them go, he’s special.”
George Washington was defeated by Wilder in 2017Credit: (AP Photo/Albert Cesare)
Washington believes Wilder is deadly with both handsCredit: (AP Photo/Albert Cesare)
ERIC MOLINA
BUT it’s Drummer Boy Molina, who had the most frank explanation.
“Wilder could knock out a bull if he hit it in the head. It’s just a matter of ‘when’ in that fight,” he told FightHype.com.
“If he touches anybody with that right hand, on any part of the head, they’re going to dance or go down and go to sleep. It is what it is.
“I’ve been in there with the man who I think is the biggest puncher in boxing history in Deontay Wilder. Once you’ve faced those guys, everybody else is… come on.”
Eric Molina revealed he thought Wilder could floor a bull with his punchCredit: Getty – Contributor
Molina revealed it’s not ‘if’ but ‘when’ Wilder knocks you out in a fightCredit: Getty – Contributor
Fury vs Wilder 2 – Date, UK start time, live stream, TV channel, full undercard and latest odds for HUGE Vegas fight
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
