The WBC world heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, will defend his title against Deontay Wilder Sunday morning at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
It’s the third meeting between the two fighters and one of the biggest bouts in 2021, a year that has seen numerous disruptions to the boxing calendar due to COVID-19 and other factors.
The pair first met in December 2018 when Wilder was the WBC champion and Fury was talking himself up as the lineal heavyweight champion after defeating then-unified champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 and hadn’t lost since.
Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) had struggled with mental health issues after beating Klitschko, but he got his career back on track with a goal of beating Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs). He nearly had the Bronze Bomber the first time around, but he suffered a pair of late knockdowns—including a very dramatic beating of the count in the 12th round and had to settle for a split draw.
That led to a rematch in February 2020, one that Fury dominated. Wilder couldn’t deal with his hand speed and pressure fighting style, and the Gypsy King stunned him early and never let up, earning a technical knockout in the seventh round. It was the first loss of the American’s career.
Both fighters have been absent from the ring since that second meeting. The trilogy fight was supposed to happen sooner, but Fury tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this year, pushing the bout back from its original July date.
Can Fury bully the knockout artist once again? Has Wilder done enough in training to create better opportunities for his powerful right hand? Those questions will be answered soon enough. Fury and Wilder are already trading jabs on social media with just a day to go until the fight:
Considering the one-sided nature of the second meeting, most seem to think Fury is going to hand Wilder another loss today.
Assuming everything’s gone well in training, Fury, who stands 6’9”, has all the physical tools to dominate Wilder again. He has quicker hands, longer arms, great footwork and enough power to keep his 35-year-old opponent on the back foot.
Fury also believes he has a psychological edge. Wilder famously blamed his ring-walk costume for being too heavy and sapping the strength in his legs before the second fight.
However, the British fighter told Keith Idec of Boxing Scene:
“I’ve never, ever seen a more one-sided beatdown of an undefeated world heavyweight champion than I did to Deontay Wilder in that second fight. So, I’m not sure how I would react if I got absolutely smashed to bits, like he did. But I guarantee it wouldn’t be like this, like a child. He’s like a kindergarten school child, making excuses why he didn’t get tagged. You didn’t tag me! And that’s what Deontay Wilder is, he’s an excuse-maker.”
Unless he’s managed a complete overhaul of his style, Wilder will almost certainly be biding his time and looking to catch Fury with a right-handed power shot. He sent him to the canvas twice in the first fight, so he knows it’s possible to put the big man down, but he has to be careful he doesn’t get overwhelmed like he did in the rematch.
Wilder is a dangerous opponent, but he’s not as skilled as Fury. Look for a similar outcome to the second meeting.
