On Sunday morning we’ll be a step closer to solving the heavyweight puzzle. The dust will have settled on the Staples Centre with the WBC heavyweight championship of the world firmly around the waist of either Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury.
Two unbeaten heavyweights. The WBC champ against the lineal champion. This is big.
It’s come around quickly. After unofficially announcing the fight inside the ring after Fury’s most recent win over the underwhelming punchbag Francesco Pianeta, we’ve since experienced a growth in the hype that suitably accompanies a world heavyweight championship fight.
The “Gypsy King” spent close to three years outside the ring battling everything from depression to drug addiction; his rapid weight loss has been nothing short of remarkable, however, the tole it’s taken on his body after this gruelling training camp is yet to be seen. An injury to Fury during this camp wouldn’t have been a shock, but now with only days before the first bell it looks like we have a title fight!
Fury is an underdog with the bookmakers. Currently priced at around 6/4 (2.50), Fury has been given close to a 42% chance of winning this fight. It’s a fair assessment on the face of this fight, however, as the night draws near expect the odds to come closer to a true 50/50; the late money will be with the challenger. Wilder is the more active fighter. Wilder has the home advantage (in a sense). Wilder is the reigning champion. The boxing world, still, remains split.
How can Fury upset the odds once again?
Tyson Fury to beat Deontay Wilder @ 6/4 (BetVictor)
Tyson Fury to win by decision/technical decision @ 9/4 (BetVictor)
Fury received as much criticism for his win over Wladimir Klitschko as he did credit. Accused of “running” for most of the fight, even Tyson admits it was a snooze-fest, however, the work was done as much in his head and hand movements as it was done with his feet.
Constantly feinting, constantly rolling his shoulder, constantly moving his head, switching to southpaw; Fury disabled Klitschko’s feared jab for a majority of the fight. Unable to land his left hand, following up the straight right, Klitschko was resigned to hesitation in the fight with a fear of getting countered by the 6ft 9” frame of the challenger proving overwhelming.
Wilder is more unorthodox in his approach to the sweet science. There are no straight lines; there is nothing out of a textbook. This will give Fury a different proposition to negate in his immaculate defence. If Wilder telegraphs any of his attacks you can expect Fury to have an answer as he did in Dusseldorf.
As well as this, Wilder has made a career out of pinning down the heavier heavyweights, pummelling them into submission or unconsciousness as their lumbered frames fail to slip, slide, or move out of range.
Fury won’t stand in front of Wilder. Fury won’t be lured into a war. His ring intelligence is far superior to any of Wilder’s victims, with the WBC champ likely to struggle to keep Fury in range.
Desperation towards the latter stages of the fight may lead Wilder into making bigger mistakes than usual. Fury’s power is underrated and may be used to best effect in the championship rounds as he looks for a potential stoppage in countering the champion. It’s more likely going to see Tyson edge out the latter rounds with ease, however.
If the KO isn’t coming in Saturday night’s fight, Wilder may struggle to adapt in attempting to pinch the rounds in the second half of the fight. Wilder doesn’t operate in this way; a seek and destroy fighter tends to have one gear, with Fury looking to toy with the champion once he begins to swing recklessly.
Wilder has never fought anyone with the boxing brain of Tyson Fury. If we see 70% of the Fury that won in Dusseldorf, then we will have a new heavyweight champion of the world.
This, is the biggest question we await.
