By Charles Brun: Deontay ‘The Bronze Bomber’ Wilder and WBC heavyweight champion Tyson ‘The Gypsy King’ Fury will be meeting today for their kick-off press conference in Los Angeles, California, to officially announce their July 24th fight on pay-per-view at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Much has changed since Fury, 32, defeated Wilder last year, as Deontay has a new trainer in Malik Scott, and he looks like a completely different fighter now.
Fury has put on a lot of weight around the midsection that he’s currently trying to melt off before July 24th, and it’s going to be interesting to see if he can take all of it off.
If Fury looks like the pudgy fighter we’ve seen prancing around Las Vegas with his gaudy Versaci clothing, he may lose this time out. Heck, even if Fury is trimmed down and at his best, Wilder may poleaxe him with one of his howitzer-like right hands.
Former WBC champion Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) and the unbeaten Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) will have a face-to-face during the press conference and likely have some choice words to say.
This is the third and possibly the final fight between the two large heavyweights depending on the outcome.
Their first fight ended in a 12-round draw in 2018, although many boxing fans felt that Fury deserved a wide decision win over Deontay.
However, Wilder’s fans believe that the referee Jack Reiss should have stopped the fight in the 12th round when Fury was knocked unconscious by a right-left combination from Wilder.
In most cases, fights are stopped when a fighter is knocked out completely as Fury was, but Reiss chose to give a count.
Also, some of Wilder’s fans believe that Reiss slow in beginning the count after Fury was dropped, as he looked in the opposite direction at the timekeeper before strolling over to begin a count.
Some believe that the time Reiss spent looking to the side of the ring saved Fury from being counted out.
In the Wilder-Fury rematch last year in February 2020, a bulked-up 270+ lb Fury bludgeoned the lighter 231-lb Wilder, battering him with clubbing shots until his cornerman Mark Breland threw in the towel in the seventh round.
“I would say no because Fury took to his life boxing. His boxing life, he took it in the second fight,” said Alen Babic to Pro Boxing Fans when asked if Wilder has a chance of winning on July 24th.
“Wilder was done, he didn’t want none of it, so I don’t even know why he wants that fight. It’s weird that he wants the fight. He turned down some big money for a step back.
“He didn’t take it, I don’t know why, but maybe he believes he can win. Wilder is always dangerous.
“You can never count out a puncher. He’s got a puncher’s chance, that’s what I would say,” Babic said of Wilder. “He only has a puncher’s chance. Everything else is on Fury’s side.”