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The fight of the year is finally here as one of the biggest superstars in all of sports, Tyson Fury, is back in the spotlight trying to pull off another mission impossible against Deontay Wilder. If you were under a rock for their rematch in February of 2020, Fury came up with a gutsy game plan that attacked fire with fire as Fury handed Wilder his first career loss via a seventh-round TKO. In two days, these titans meet again but before then I give you an extensive breakdown of the trilogy fight for one of the most historic combat sports rivalries.
Physical Attributes and Skills
🏴 Tyson “Gypsy King” Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs): 6-foot-9, 85-inch Wingspan, 273-pounds, Traditional Stance
Undefeated, world-class footwork and pivoting ability, proven performer on the biggest of stages, one of the longest wingspans in combat sports history.
🇺🇸 Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs): 6-foot-7, 83-inch Wingspan, 231-pounds, Traditional Stance
The heaviest hands in boxing since the legendary “Iron” Mike Tyson graced the ring, extremely fast blitzing ability, power in both hands, enough stamina to land a KO in the later rounds.
Best Career Performance
Fury: Though he is forever celebrated for cracking the difficult Rubik cube named Wladimir Klitschko, Fury’s biggest win was in his last fight where he solved a never before solved puzzle in Wilder. Fury’s pressure and output was too much for Wilder who was caught in a corner as Fury unleashed the finishing touches on the fight before Wilder’s cornerman threw in the towel for the stoppage victory.
Wilder: People forget that Wilder won a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympic games after only a few years of training, but besides representing his country, Wilder’s greatest victory is probably his last win. Wilder landed a rare knockout punch on Luis Ortiz’s forehead. The powerful punch sent the sweat right off Ortiz’s head and onto the first row. This performance built even more hype for the rematch against Fury.
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Advantages & Disadvantages
Fury to Win (-313): The Englishman is as tall as a giant, but uses his god-given coordination to avoid damage for 99.9% of the time during his fights. He has a tremendous ability to flirt with danger, showboat, land a combination and then dip away from serious harm at the last millisecond. When motivated, Fury is unstoppable as he possesses one of the best feinting abilities in heavyweight history. He overloads his opponents’ minds with fakes that by the time he actually throws a punch it’s too late for them to react. Fury isn’t a one-punch knockout artist. Instead, he is a more traditional fighter that chops down the tree one swing at a time... His only disadvantage is himself. If he can remain as focused as we’ve seen him over the last few years I think he makes quick work of Wilder again, but something tells me that he’s resting on his laurels a bit and may believe it’s going to be a cakewalk. Fury does have a history of being a bit undisciplined following a big win.
Wilder to Win (+230): The Alabama native is a skinny beanpole of a heavyweight, but packs a punch stronger than Thor’s hammer! Wilder is the nastiest knockout artist in the sport since Mike Tyson. Wilder’s ability to generate power from a stand-still position is remarkable. He needs just one opening to start his momentum and it’s lights out. Plus, on top of Wilder’s herculean power, he has a big gas tank. The “Bronze Bomber” is able to throw and land heavy, potentially fight-ending punches at a crazy volume even in the late rounds when most fighters are trying to skate to the finish. Again, between Fury and Wilder they have one combined loss, so there are not many disadvantages between these two elite fighters, but Fury did expose one huge hole in Wilder’s game in their previous fight. While Wilder always leads the dance in his victories, Fury pulled the rug out from underneath Wilder when he became the over-zealous hunter – AND IT WORKED. Wilder had never been chased down like that as his opponents usually avoided the fire rather than walk through it. Fury and his team proved correct in their game planning … Now, who makes the next key adjustment a third time around?
Who wins? (Fury -313 ,Wilder +230)
I think a long time off for Wilder is key here. Like many people during the pandemic, there’s been time to sit on your thoughts, and I believe Wilder doesn’t want to be remembered for getting absolutely dominated. I believe Wilder also wants to show the naysayers that he’s not just a one-trick pony - albeit an amazing trick - but surprise Fury with his new skills and his undying will to win: Wilder +230
How Do They Win? (Fury via KO -106, Dec. +260 | Wilder via KO +300, Dec. +1400)
With Fury’s history of losing focus after a big win, I think he may be sitting on the February 2020 result a bit and will step off the gas pedal just enough for Wilder to reclaim the throne. I lean towards Wilder catching Fury sleeping on the job with a few thunderous right hands and left hooks that enable the “Bronze Bomber” to get the victory: Wilder via Decision +1400
When Will The Fight End? (Inside Distance +175, Goes The Distance -250 )
On paper, Tyson Fury is sitting pretty and has seen all that Wilder has to offer from his bag of tricks. Fury took Wilder’s best shot in their first fight and went on to bounce back and win rounds thereafter. As previously mentioned, I think Fury’s toughest fight is within himself. His history points to when he does climb a mountain he tends to take a nap up there. While I think Fury’s pure boxing skill is unmatched, I lean towards a determined Wilder to inflict enough damage to score a victory and to make it to the final bell: Goes The Distance -250
What happens after a win?
Fury: Before fellow Brit Anthony Joshua lost to Oleksandr Usyk, the biggest heavyweight fight of this century was set to take place between two fighters from the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, Joshua didn’t hold up his end of the bargain. So if Fury wins, he’s in a position where he can sit back and wait for a new challenge to arise.
Wilder: There is so much incentive for Wilder to win and win dominantly on Saturday night. If he does crack the code and hand the “Gypsy King” his first career loss, he will avenge his first career loss, silence the critics and set up a colossal fourth fight against Fury while Joshua/Usyk sort out their second fight.
Stay locked right here for my UFC Fight Night 194 preview and picks article!
