By William Trillo
Chris,
As soon as your fight with Deontay was announced I have wanted to reach out to you. The reason is simple. Chris, you can beat this guy. In fact, if all the pieces are in place I believe you will.
Whether or not those pieces are in place is your responsibility, yours alone. I hope you are already putting those pieces in place Chris. This championship has been your destiny and now you are getting this one last shot. And let’s be clear, this is your last shot. You and I both know that.
Yes, I have been hard on you in the past, and rightly so. I saw you way back when you were making your start in Ontario. There was no doubt in my mind you had what it took to become a world champion. I clearly remember a night you were in attendance as a fan at Montebello’s Quiet Cannon. I pointed you out to my brother and proclaimed to him that you were the next heavyweight champ of the world.
When the fight with Bolo was upon us and the jury was spilt on which California fighter would prevail I picked you to destroy Wills. It was laughable to me that anyone thought Bolo stood a chance. You didn’t let me down.
But after that fight it seemed to me your focus waivered. I am not sure if it was over-confidence, lack of discipline or both but it was from that point on it seemed cerveza and burritos were the major part of your training staple. You ballooned up to epic proportions and any hope I had for a champ from California vanished. I popped a picture of you one night that made the rounds on the internet and you yourself said you looked HUGE as you made fun of your own self. To me it was a shame. By the time you fought Vitali there was no way your discipline or lack thereof was going to allow you to defeat him.
You had two more shots at a world title but the result was the same.
Of all the things I remember about the second Stiverne fight it is the small press conference you had with the media a couple days before the fight. As you were sitting next to the late Dan Goossen I asked you, “Chris, not only does America need a real heavyweight champion right now but the boxing fans here in Southern California have been waiting for one of their own to go all the way to the top and become the baddest man in the world, the heavyweight champ…can you be that guy?”
Sitting directly across the table you looked at me and without hesitation you answered, “I am that guy!”
Chris, you still can be that guy.
I know right now you don’t want to talk too much trash about Wilder for more than obvious reasons, so allow me.
Deontay is the figment of someone’s imagination. He has been on the receiving end of some of softest matchmaking in boxing. He has been served up some real bums and even with that he has been rocked pretty good. If the palookas he fought had any finishing skills Wilder would already be yesterday’s news. His lack of a chin and chicken legs is a recipe for disaster and you Chris can be the chef to stir that up into a gourmet meal that ends with you holding that belt you have wanted for so long over your head.
Chris, Wilder is primed and ready for you to dismantle, trust me on this. He can spew whatever blather he is going to run at the press conference this week but the fact is he will be taking you very lightly. They (you know who I mean) think you are washed up otherwise they (same people) would have never put you in the ring with their “Meal Ticket”.
In my humble opinion you will need to go all Seth Mitchell on this guy. Meaning, bum rush him from the opening bell and do not give him room to breathe. I doubt he will believe you can pull that off and it will give you a chance for an early blow out. Please don’t try to feel this guy out and box with him. My fear is that will allow him to land that huge right hand and put you in big trouble. Do not let that happen.
You are a huge underdog here. No one expects you to win. I believe that leaves the door wide open for you to pull off the Buster Douglas over Mike Tyson kind of upset. Truth be told I already grabbed a little bit of that betting action in Las Vegas. That is how certain I am you can do this.
Do this for Dan Goossen. He above everyone else deserves this victory. He always felt you could do it. I am sure he is watching you and will be there in spirit on fight night. Do it for Dan!
You are that guy Chris…you still are America’s Hope…now is the time for you to finally prove it.
Sincerely,
William Trillo
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