Malik Scott claps back at sherdog's own Tim Witherspoon

[Badr Hari]

IDK if Malik did a good job or not. I think Deontay was wrong for taking the rematch. It was so wrong, and it was so unbelievable to me that he activated the clause that I assumed he was just doing it for the payday. As for Malik I liked when in between rounds somewhere late in the fight he was constantly warning Wilder of that left hook of Fury. Everytime Wilder was entering with his own shots Fury got him with a short left hook of his own. Malik tried to warn him and teach him a counter tactic but Deontay was so fucking tired man, you could tell him the most genial tactic at that point and he wasn't in a state where he could execute anything.

 

[TheGreatA]

@mozfonky
I still think Scott did the best he could do w what he had in a pupil. It’s seems he tried to give him a few tool / tricks to set up the sledge hammer righthand. It was up to the man in the ring to listen and use them.

During the build up, It was strange hearing Wilder say he didn’t teach me anything, he’s just working on things already had. Stubbornness like that it’s tough to get through to. You would have to make them think it was their idea. Lol. Poor fellow, I hope he is able to reflect going forward. I liked his attitude much better before he got caught up in his own hype.

I think Wilder is just an impossible case. He's, quite frankly, not the smartest guy around, but has a massive ego and believes he knows everything, even though he's one of the most technically flawed boxers in the sport.

From what I observed, Malik Scott understands how to deal with Wilder psychologically, which is to basically never confront him on anything and make him think everything you're telling him is his own idea. To a lot of people he comes off as a kiss-ass, but that's basically how you have to be in order to deal with someone that has the personality of a Deontay Wilder. He got some messages through without making Wilder feel like they were being imposed on him.

If he had had like 4-5 tune-up fights worth of experience training and cornering Wilder, he could have gotten Wilder comfortable doing something outside of his comfort zone. But the way it is right now, the moment Wilder gets tired and feels vulnerable, he's going back to his old tricks.

 

[borntoloseNOT]

For those of you criticizing Scott because he is inexperienced or he lost to Wilder, remember every coach has to start somewhere and many great coaches were not world beater fighters.
Scott’s charge was about as difficult as one could possibly have. Somehow he got Wilder to believe in him; I would say thats pretty darn impressive in itself. Trainers are often part teacher, psychologist, cheerleader, and confidant/friend etc., depending on the pupils need. Scott’s man is as needy as a battered spouse. Really, given the man he cornered, I’m not sure anyone could have done better.

Solid take

 

[stuff jones]

I don't really get people piling on Scott here. He did a good job with Deontay in the short time he had him. He didn't reinvent the wheel but Wilder was jabbing more, going to the body more and straightened up a lot of his punches.

Yeah and came in about 15 lbs too heavy and gassed early. That as you have said was the key to his loss. Why did Scott allow that? Wilder dominated at 220 having unbelievable power and great speed. He was sluggsih last fight, and wore out quickly.

 

[Old Cat]

Yeah and came in about 15 lbs too heavy and gassed early. That as you have said was the key to his loss. Why did Scott allow that? Wilder dominated at 220 having unbelievable power and great speed. He was sluggsih last fight, and wore out quickly.

i know you asked the Yankee the question but I was reading the thread.

Thr key word you are using is “ allowed “. No trainer is telling Wilder to do anything. You have to know that by now?

 

[GeneTunney7]

.No trainer is telling Wilder to do anything. You have to know that by now?

Pretty much. I thought Scott was crazy for saying the things he was saying ('250% power increase") and giving blowjobs to Deontay vs being a coach, but what I realized is Wilder has such an incredibly fragile ego that he needs to a motivational coach, yes men, more than a boxing coach. If you tell him to do something, he shuts down, but if you make him feel like it was his own idea, he will do it.

At the end of the day tho, this mentality is not what champions are made out of. Wilder used to be a much better boxer when he was younger and got worse as his got more cocky and started laying people out - so much so that he felt he knew more about boxing than Mark Breland, a technical genius who actually could box. After all, this is the guy that refers to himself as "Your King" (not in a joking sense either) and said "the power of my right is the power of God", so I guess we should not be surprised.

If Wilder had a better mentality, he should go do what Tyson did: go to a top team, humble himself, live poor and listen to his elders.

 

[Jasonvoorhees]

honestly, i kept waiting for wilder to loop the right after his jab or, worse for him, get caught with a big right when he was throwing it, neither happened. Good fighters always say it's a "no-no" (evander holyfield) to throw a jab to the body but they would go out and do it all the time. It is risky if your oppnent has a good right and it's just not a good position to be in if it gets thrown when you're delivering the jab. Tyson's pet move was to throw a quick jab to the body and a hail mary right to the head, he got some mediocre fighters out quickly by doing that. Never saw him do that to Holyfield.

Lennox Lewis nailed Razor Ruddock and dropped him heavily with an overhand right in response to Ruddock jabbing him to the body. It’s a risky move against a quick puncher.

 

[mozfonky]

Lennox Lewis nailed Razor Ruddock and dropped him heavily with an overhand right in response to Ruddock jabbing him to the body. It’s a risky move against a quick puncher.

Ya, that's the occasion Holyfield called it a no no, yet he did it all the time..

 

[Roids]

Tim was spot on. Glad to here some straight shooting and an honest assessment.

 

[Jasonvoorhees]

Tim was spot on. Glad to here some straight shooting and an honest assessment.

Tim also deserved a rematch against Larry Holmes after giving Holmes a much tougher fight than expected in 1983. Witherspoon was a solid fighter when he was focused and well trained, which wasn’t all the time, unfortunately.

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Mike Tyson teamed up with King and fired Rooney.... Later on lost to Kevin McBride....

 

[listrahtes]

Ya, that's the occasion Holyfield called it a no no, yet he did it all the time..

well Holyfield was the master of the pendulum step. He could time this so expertedly that he wouldnt get hurt. Not many boxers out there at HW who could do that ever.