On Saturday night the heavyweight division takes centerstage in the sports world for the first time since Mike Tyson’s failed title challenge to Lennox Lewis in 2002.
Between 2x unified champion Anthony Joshua, former titlist Andy Ruiz and Saturday’s combatants: Lineal champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs) & WBC strap holder Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs), the division has the juice it has been missing for nearly 20 years.
Additionally, fight promoters have gotten it right on two fronts. First, Bob Arum/ESPN and Al Haymon/Fox have done the right thing by the fans with a cross promotion to make this rematch happen.
Second, they have done the sport a favor holding a major event in February.
For the past decade, the biggest fights have taken place in May and September. They have done some record breaking numbers, but those times allow the boxing-hating media to push the event to the fringes of coverage.
February is a no-brainer boxing month as the attention competition just isn’t there from other sports.
This is a rematch of the two big men’s 12 round draw in December of 2018. You can watch the first fight on YouTube here if you have not seen it. I welcome your comments on the outcome.
Once again, a terrific effort by the guys in the ring was tainted by inept or more likely corrupt judging.
I had it 116-110 for Fury. That’s 10 rounds to 2 with 2 points deducted from the big Brit for the two knockdowns scored by Wilder.
MAYBE you could go 9-3, nothing closer. But both guys shined in different ways.
The American showed his punching power from God that can never be taught, learned or created by man. Teddy Atlas believes Wilder is the best right hand puncher in heavyweight history.
The Gypsy King showed outstanding boxing ability and elusiveness; especially for a man of his size as he out-boxed Wilder throughout the night.
But the most impressive thing Fury showed was his heart. After being dropped for the second time and laying flat on his back, Fury got up.
It looked like the Undertaker getting up from a scripted WWF chair shot. And he did not just get up and survive; he got up and fought.
However, Fury became another victim of the judges. There used to be a valid belief that North American fighters had to be leery of going overseas and getting robbed by crooked judges.
But foreign fighters now have the same gripe. In the last 15 years we have watched Felix Sturm (Oscar De La Hoya), Manny Pacquiao (Tim Bradley), Gennady Golovkin (Canelo Alvarez twice) and Sergey Kovalev (Andre Ward) all robbed on American soil.
That brings us to the keys to victory and prediction.
Keys to victory for Fury:
BOX! Basically, do the same thing he did last time but make Wilder pay a little more when he misses.
To get a decision here, the Brit will have to tag The Bronze Bomber more often. The other adjustment he needs to make is to stay off the canvas.
Easier said than done against a puncher like Wilder. But I am convinced Fury needs to stay on his feet which means he must be near perfect to get a decision on American soil.
Moving to his right as much as possible will help Fury avoid Wilder’s Sunday punch.
Keys to victory for Wilder:
Get going earlier. Wilder, like many big punchers tends to give early rounds away against better competition. The sooner he gets busy, the more opportunities to land and stop the big Gypsy.
Another key is the left hook. Wilder has an all time right, but he also has plenty of pop in his left.
Rather than just throwing 1-2s, put a left hook being that right hand and make Fury worry in both directions.
So what happens? Usually the more complete fighter wins the rematch and that is definitely Tyson Fury.
He’s faster, better defensively and has better footwork. Wilder’s only clear advantage is power and he may have a chin advantage.
But does Fury get a tad more reckless feeling he needs a knockout of his own, or at least a dominant performance?
If so, this could take him out of his game. Also, I think Wilder has gotten a bit better since the first fight.
The Olympic Bronze Medalist took up boxing late and it has shown in his pro career.
He has been crude in his style leading to his knockouts. But his jab has gotten smarter.
He doesn’t throw them all to land. He’s more nuanced now.
He has adopted that old George Foreman trick of lulling you to sleep with a lazy 3/4 jab. He makes you think you are safe at a closer distance than you are and a killer right comes behind it.
My gut tells me at least one of those floors Fury. Can he summon that same heart again to get up against this gifted puncher?
Will heart even be a factor, or will the lights be put out this time?
Not sure, but one of those last two scenarios occurs in the second half of this fight and Deontay Wilder takes the judges out of the equation this time around.
Wilder by late knockout. Talk soon.
-Marksman