By Charles Brun: The undefeated 31-year-old Tyson Fury is convinced Deontay Wilder will take the rematch with him next after losing last Saturday in Las Vegas. Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) says he can’t wait to face former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) for the third time, and he plans on continuing to improve his own game with the help of his new trainer Sugar Hill Steward at the Kronk Gym.
If Wilder chooses not to take the trilogy fight, Fury says his promoters will decide which fight will come next for him. Fury was asked at the post-fight news conference if he’ll face IBF/WBA/WBO champion Anthony Joshua next if Wilder decides not to take the rematch, but he said it’s up to his promoters.
Fury seems to want the third fight with Wilder right now, and for good reason. He’s done well in his first two fights with Deontay, and he obviously likes his chances going into a third contest with the American.
Wilder was beaten decisively
It’s hard to give Fury full credit for the win because of the injury Wilder sustained. The injury was one of those freaky things that happen from time to time in fights, which is caused by getting clouted on the point of the ear.
Fury stopped Wilder in the 7th round after the American’s trainers threw in the towel to stop the one-sided match at the MGM Grand Arena, which had completely out of hand by that point in the fight. Wilder looked utterly defeated with a bleeding ear and lip, and a swollen left cheek.
Fury had knocked Wilder down twice in the fight, once in the third and another time in the 5th. It appeared that Fury let up on Wilder a little in the 6th round, as he didn’t take the fight to him as much.
Wilder was so hurt by that stage in the fight that he was no competition. His balance had disappeared after he was knocked down in the third, and he wasn’t the same after that.
Wilder will likely take rematch – Fury
“The spoils of war are I’ll just have to enjoy this victory,” said Fury when asked if he’ll face Joshua next. “Deontay will need time to recover from the fight, but I’m almost sure he’ll take the rematch because he’s a dynamite puncher. Anytime he can take somebody out with that danger.
“You’re always in that danger, so I’m pretty sure we’ll run it back again if he wants to,” said Fury. “But if he doesn’t want to, then these are my promoters, and whatever they want to do, I’m happy with. Whoever is next, they’ll get the same treatment, that’s for sure,” said Fury.
Five months from now, Wilder, 34, should be ready to take the trilogy fight with Fury. The tall 6’7″ Wilder doesn’t have a lot of great options for big money fights aside from his rematch with Fury. Considering the extent of his one-sided loss, Deontay can’t move on from this defeat without his popularity taking a huge hit.
For Wilder to move on without fighting Fury a third time, it would be a bad career move. However, Wilder is in the same position Joe Frazier was when he lost to a young George Foreman by a 2nd round knockout in 1973.
If Wilder faces Fury again, he could be destroyed even worse. Frazier waited three years before facing Foreman in a rematch in 1976, and yet he was still stopped in the 5th round after being knocked down twice.
In that fight, Frazier came out with a completely different fighting style than the one he employed in the first fight. It didn’t help. Foreman dominated the first four rounds of the rematch. When Frazier reverted back to his old pressure style of fighting in round 5, Foreman knocked him out.
Tyson Fury CAN’T wait for Deontay Wilder rematch
“Deontay Wilder, he never went down easy,” said Fury at the post-fight news conference last Saturday. “I got one here on the temple. He hit me hard there. I just believed that if he couldn’t beat me at 15% of the man I am today, then he never had the chance tonight.
“I can’t wait for the rematch if he wants it,” said Fury on Wilder. “21 knockouts in 30 fights, it’s not bad because I’ve never really looked for knockouts in my career. I’ve always looked to use my boxing skills, but with this weight and this technique, we can knock out anybody.
“When I jumped on the scale yesterday at 273 lbs, everyone thought, ‘He ain’t coming for a fight. He’s underestimated Wilder, and has turned up for a payday.’ But I felt like a beast, and this is my weight for sure,” said Fury.
There are some boxing fans who attribute Fury’s win last night due to Wilder being injured in the 3rd round from a shot to the ear. Wilder’s ear began to bleed after sustaining the injury, and his balance wasn’t the same.
Going into round 3, the fight appeared to be knotted 1-1 with Fury and Wilder battling back and forth in a competitive match. Unfortunately for Wilder, his balance was no longer there for him after his ear was injured, and his power wasn’t the same.
If it was a busted eardrum that Wilder sustained, as many suspect, then would explain why his equilibrium was thrown off from the third round on. That’s the type of injury that would impact the performance of any fighter. It’s not just Wilder. Had Fury suffered a busted eardrum, he would have been in a world of hurt.
Fury: Deontay has improved since the last fight
“I felt like Deontay’s jab had improved, and he didn’t take his time like he said he would,” said Fury about Wilder’s performance. “He was using his jab quite well, I must say. I was impressed with the double jab he was using. Credit to his team for applying that, because when you’ve got two giant guys, a jab is important to set something up. So I definitely feel like he was an improved fighter, and he was heavier.
“I wasn’t able to bully him around as I did last time in close, because he was a lot heavier than he ever was,” Fury said about Wilder’s extra size he put on. “And I did see improvements in his game, but tonight was my night. I was never going to let anybody take it from me. And I am my own worst critic and even though it was a fantastic performance, and I can get better. I’ve only just started with Sugar Hill with this style.
“We’ve had seven weeks to perfect this style at the Kronk gym, and I’m a good learner,” said Fury. “I plan on getting back to work straight away to work on my balance and my straight punches. We’re going to be putting people to sleep left, right and center. Don’t forget, when I came here, they said I can’t punch. Deontay Wilder said it himself that I got two pillow-fists, but not bad for an old fat guy that can’t punch,” Fury continued.
Wilder did look improved with what he showed in the first two rounds, but unfortunately, he was too hurt from the third round on to show what he could do.