Deontay Wilder training in ocean water, getting ready for Tyson Fury on Oct 9th

By Boxing News - 09/05/2021 - Comments

By Charles Brun: Deontay Wilder is training in open water getting ready for his important trilogy match with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury next month on October 9th.

Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) is leaving no stone unturned in preparation to avenge his loss to Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) from a year ago when he was knocked out in the seventh round in a shock defeat

Deontay’s new trainer Malik Scott has been tirelessly going over strategies to deal with Fury’s roughhouse tactics to make sure he’d not ambushed like he was last time. Wilder wasn’t ready for Fury’s rabbit punching, holding, leaning, and overall mauling last year.

Wilder looks to be in superb condition, but we’ll have to see if he’s going to be able to handle Fury’s mauling tactics that he employed last time they fought.

The tactics Fury used to beat Wilder a year came down to these three things:

  • Clinching & leaning
  • Rabbit punching
  • Inside mauling
  • Constant pressure
  • Clubbing punches
  • Staying close

When Wilder would miss with a shot, Fury would grab him in a clinch and lean all his 273 lb weight on him, forcing him to support him.

This tactic had the effect of wearing out Wilder’s legs quickly more so than the heavy ring-walk costume that he wore into the ring. Wilder never made any adjustments to what Fury was doing with the holding & leaning.

When you have a fighter is employing those kinds of tactics, as Fury was, you need to use movement, stay on the outside and pepper him with jabs rather than a lot of power shots.

Image: Deontay Wilder training in ocean water, getting ready for Tyson Fury on Oct 9th

Fury doesn’t possess the hand speed, power, or athleticism that Wilder possesses. What Fury does have is cunning to take advantage of flaws in his opponent’s game, and that’s why he used a lot of the holding, leaning, and mauling tactics last time they fought.

It’s unclear whose idea it was for Fury to throw rabbit punches, but those were quite effective in taking Wilder’s balance & legs away early last time.

Obviously, Fury should have been penalized for his rabbit punching, but the referee Kenny Bayless was there, and no focusing on policing the punches behind the head that he was throwing.

Keys to victory for Wilder:

  • Cloak the right hand
  • Throw more jabs
  • Don’t be stationary
  • Throw combinations
  • Force Fury to let go when he holds/leans

When Fury starts holding Wilder, as he frequently did last time they fought, Deontay must get him to let go by hitting him as hard as possible on the side of the head or preferably in the breadbasket.

Wilder must make Fury hesitant to hold/maul by hitting him hard each time he grabs him because he’s going to use the clinching to wear Deontay’s legs out.

 

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