By Dean Berman: Promoter Lou DiBella expects that Tyson Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs) will get BLASTED by a major right hand shot to the head from WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs) at some point in their fight on February 22. Whether Fury can take that shot or not is the question that DiBella has.
DiBella doubts Fury won’t be able to rise up again to beat the count like he did in his previous encounter with Deontay in 2018. In DiBella’s opinion, if Wilder nails Fury with one of his huge “ERASER” shots with his right hand, the 6’9″ British heavyweight won’t recover. But even if Fury does somehow drag himself off the canvas after a long count, he’ll be smashed to bits by Wilder.
Wilder wins if he hits Fury flush
“The same way I always see it play out. If Wilder hits him [Fury] flush, he probably wins,” said DiBella to Boxing Social on Wilder vs. Fury 2. “I don’t see another Lazarus or undertaker type rise.
“Even if it happens, I would expect Deontay to just jump on him immediately,” said DiBella. “Is Fury capable of going the distance and not taking that flush punch, yes. So my prediction is the same as anyone with a brain is going to predict. Deontay by knockout or Fury by decision,” said DiBella.
Wilder just barely missed taking Fury’s head off after he pulled himself off the canvas in their first fight. Had that right hand from Wilder landed, Fury might would have been down for a long time.
Fury fans are counting on him being able to dodge Wilder’s right hand for the entire 36 minutes of the fight, and they don’t realize how hard that’s going to be for him.
Carrying 255+ lbs, and trying to dodge a guy with huge power, and better stamina, it could be asking too much of Fury. He’s an excellent defensive fighter, but he’s also a big guy. Most big fighters get tired when they’re forced to move for 12 rounds, and they become increasingly more hittable as the rounds progress.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Wilder drops Fury 3 or 4 times in the championship rounds this time. If the fight goes to the scorecards, it’s going to be tough for Fury to get the decision with him having been dropped so many times.
Fury WILL get tagged by Wilder
“At some point in that fight, I believe Fury will get tagged,” said DiBella. “The only question is will it be the eraser. Is he going to get tagged by one that he can’t recover from. But he’s going to get tagged. I would be careful with betting my money.
“I don’t work with Deontay anymore, but can Fury win? Of course, he can win. Can Deontay win? Of course, he can win. One is going to win by knockout, and one will go by decision,” said DiBella on Wilder vs. Fury 2 rematch.
It’s likely that Fury will get nailed by one of Wilder’s textbook eraser punches in the 1st round. If Wilder tags Fury early, we could see a replay of the Thomas Hearns vs. Pipino Cuevas fight. In that match, ‘The Hitman’ Hearns measured Cuevas with his left hand, and then nailed him with a huge right hand that staggered him in the 2nd round in their fight in 1980. Hearns then finished Cuevas with a tremendous right hand that put him down.
Fury is going to have to have a good strategy of how to recover if/when Wilder lands one of his eraser punches in the fight. Tyson can’t count on a referee being patient and giving him a count while he’s unconscious on the canvas.