The most anticipated heavyweight fight in almost two decades has the boxing world on edge when this Saturday in Las Vegas the undefeated champion of the World Boxing Council (WBC), the American Deontay Wilder, faces the British Tyson Fury in the rematch most anticipated of the division.
Billed as the biggest maximum weight match since Lennox Lewis defeated Mike Tyson in 2002, Wilder and Fury go head-to-head 14 months after a fierce match that ended tied in Los Angeles.
Tickets for Saturday’s fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas have changed hands for as much as $ 11,000, while promoters predict the event could generate more than $ 2 million in pay-per-view sales in the US alone. U.S.
At the center of the action are two of the most charismatic and skilled protagonists in heavyweight boxing, the “Bronze Bomber” Wilder and Fury, the eccentric and self-described “Gypsy King” of the north of England.
In a 12-round bout, both fighters arrive with undefeated records, with Wilder, 34, seeking the 43rd win (41 KOs) and a draw.
Meanwhile, Fury has 29 wins with 20 fights via chloroform.
The fight is a classic clash of styles, pitting Wilder’s devastating power of elimination against Fury’s more evasive and heavy-hitting defensive style.
– Fury promises to be more aggressive –
In his first fight in Los Angeles, Fury rebounded from two shocking falls to claim a draw, miraculously jumping off the canvas in the twelfth round to wait for a share of the loot.
Fury has said that in Saturday’s rematch he promises to adopt a more aggressive style, insisting he is aiming for an early knockout.
“My own destiny resides in my two fists,” said the 31-year-old British boxer.
I’ll treat him more aggressively. The mistake I made the last time was not to finish him off when he was injured, “he said.
The British fighter is not famous for his raw knockout punching power, and his most likely path to victory remains by decision, a result that has marked his most important performances in his career.
There are also question marks about Fury’s health, as it took more than 40 points to fix a horrible cut over his right eye in a win over Otto Wallin in his last fight in September.
Fury returned in 2018 after a three-year hiatus spent battling depression, drinking and drug problems.
– Wilder downplays Fury –
Meanwhile, Wilder’s preparation for the rematch has gone relatively well.
He dropped Dominic Breazeale in a round last May, then scored a spectacular seventh round knockout of Cuban Luis Ortiz in November.
Although Wilder and Fury pushed each other in a showdown in Las Vegas on Wednesday, the American champion has been the more poised of the two this week.
Wilder, who sounds laid-back, is skeptical of Fury’s vows to pursue a more aggressive plan, and in any case doubts that the Brit has the power to carry it out.
“I don’t believe anything Fury is saying right now,” Wilder said.
“He is just a tall man who can move around the ring. And that’s it. As for power, there are none there. I don’t think I can develop (power), no matter what coach I bring. You just don’t develop power in a couple of weeks. It is impossible, “added the American.
Wilder also believes that he has left a lasting psychological mark on Fury after the devastating fall in their first encounter.
“Deep in his heart, I really feel like he’s nervous from the first time,” Wilder said. “When you lay down a person and have a concussion, you never forget it.”
“When you go back to the ring with that person for the second time, it has to be stressful,” he said. AFP