By Charles Brun: Deontay Wilder is unhappy that he has to beat Tyson Fury for a second time after having already knocked him out in their first fight last December. The referee gave what Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs) and some boxing fans believe was a long count to Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs) in the 12th round on December 1, 2018 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
So once again, Wilder will need to share the ring with Fury to give him another chance to take his WBC heavyweight title from him. The difference in the rematch is the referee that worked the first contest, Jack Reiss, won’t be the third man in the ring in their rematch on February 22.
Can Fury stay on his feet against Wilder?
So if Fury is going to win the fight, he’s probably going to need to avoid getting knocked out again, because he might not get the benefit of a count this time. When you get knocked out the way Fury did, generally there’s no count given.
Obviously, there’s a right way and a WRONG way to unseat a world champion. The wrong way to beat a champion like Deontay is to get dropped TWICE, and then complain about how you should have won afterwards.
That’s an incredibly weak way of trying to capture a world title, but unfortunately that’s what Fury did. The RIGHT way to take a world title from a champion it to either knock him out or beat him convincingly over 12 rounds, and dominate the fight. The important key to winning a decision for Fury is to remain upright, and not dropped repeatedly.
“I knocked that fool out,” said Wilder about Fury.
Beating Wilder won’t be easy for Fury, because he showed that he couldn’t take his power last time they fought. Unless Fury’s chin has has improved in the last 12 months, we could see another knockout. This time the fight will likely be stopped, and not end with a referee giving a count.
Fury: Wilder won’t touch me this time
“He ain’t going to touch me this time,” said Fury at College Game Day. “It was a very controversial decision. This time it’s going to be different. I’m going to take him out of the judges’ hands.”
Fury sounds disingenuous in saying that Wilder won’t touch him, because his defense isn’t that good. In Fury’s last fight, Otto Wallin put hands on him, and had his face sliced to ribbons. Fury was cut, bleeding and was hurt by Wallin, who has moderate power. Wallin isn’t the fastest guy either, and he was catching Fury all night with shots to the midsection and to the head.
Fury talking about Wilder not being able to touch him in the rematch is basically giving away the game plan. No one really believes the recent knockout prediction by Fury of him stopping Wilder in the rematch, because he doesn’t pack a punch. Fury is on part with his cousin Hughie Fury in the power department.
Wilder is being told what to do – Eddie Hearn
“If Fury wins, I think that fight happens like that with Joshua,” said Hearn to SI Boxing with Chris Mannix. “If Wilder wins, it’s a lot more complicated with a few more egos, a bit more politics. The difference with Fury is, he will make things happen personally. If Fury wants that fight, he’ll find a way to make it happen. Fury is his own boss, and he’ll just tell them.
“Fury isn’t afraid. With Wilder, I feel he’s being told what to do,” said Hearn. “That’s the difference. And AJ is his own boss as well. If AJ turns around and goes, ‘I want that fight,’ then we have to make it. If we don’t make it, then we haven’t done our job,” said Hearn.
Wilder would be more than willing to fight Anthony Joshua after 2020, but it’ll require that he gets a 50-50 split. Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing would need to change his negotiating strategy of offering Wilder flat fees or 60-40 cuts, because those times have changed. Offering Wilder the small end of the pie is a sure fire way of making sure Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) NEVER fights him. That’s OK, if Hearn’s goal is to just posture and go through the motions in putting the Joshua vs. Wilder fight together.
If the whole idea is for Hearn to make the boxing public THINK he’s interested in making the Joshua-Wilder fight, then he can continue to give him lowball offers. But if Hearn is serious about wanting to make the Joshua vs. Wilder contest in 2021, it’s going to require a 50-50 split, AND a neutral venue. The fight isn’t going to get made if Hearn insists that it takes place in the UK.
