OPINION
Tyson Fury is the best boxer in the heavyweight division, hands down. That doesn’t make him fun to watch.
I was seated at ringside for the Fury-Deontay Wilder draw at Staples Center in 2018. About 8½ rounds into an uneventful fight in which Fury boxed and Wilder chased, I remember thinking: “Someone wake me up when this garbage is over.” The fight was that boring. Only Wilder’s two knockdowns made it interesting in the end.
Think back to Fury’s stunning victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, which turned the division upside down. A common reaction: yawwwwwn.
That’s why a victory by Wilder on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas would be better for the division and the sport. Fans will take one-punch knockouts over efficient boxing lessons any day. And, obviously, Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs) delivers the sudden, violent endings that stir the masses.
On top of that, a Wilder victory sets up a potentially even bigger event: Wilder vs. Anthony Joshua, the fight between two enormous punchers that fans have anticipated for years.
Of course, Wilder and Fury might do it a third time. The loser can demand it based on a clause in their contract. It would be well received. And a Fury victory would set up a potential all-England superfight between him and Joshua.
The point here is that Wilder vs. Joshua is bigger than Fury vs. Joshua, which would be huge in the U.K. but not quite the global event that Wilder-Joshua would be and certainly not as compelling in terms of what fans could anticipate in the ring.
Some might point out that Floyd Mayweather didn’t have a style conducive to action yet he became the face of the sport. Well, one, Mayweather was the best boxer of his generation. That can’t be said of Fury. And, two, Mayweather was the ultimate polarizing figure. It didn’t matter whether you loved him or hated him, you tuned in when he fought.
And Muhammad Ali wasn’t known as a big puncher yet became the most iconic figure in boxing history. C’mon, as compelling as Fury is, he’d be the first to admit he’s no Muhammad Ali.
Make no mistake: Fury is compelling. Bob Arum, who knows a thing or two about promotions, did compare Fury to Ali in terms of his ability to sell himself and a fight. No doubt. Fury’s personality is magnetic.
That’s not where the proposition ends, though. Once the opening bell rings, Fury’s gift of gab gives way to a hit-and-not-be-hit style that gets the job done but doesn’t lift fans out of their seats the way a big right hand from Wilder does.
Maybe that’s part of the reason Fury has promoted the idea of stopping Wilder. He fired trainer Ben Davison and hired a mentor known to encourage power punching, SugarHill Steward. He says he’s bulked up for the rematch. And he’s predicting a second-round knockout.
Imagine if that happens, imagine Wilder flat on his back. If it happens, Fury vs. Joshua would become a much bigger event. That’s a big “if,” though.
Wilder has stopped all but one of the opponents he has faced in his career. He is coming off two of the most breathtaking stoppages in recent years, one-punch knockouts Dominic Breazeale and Luis Ortiz. He’s done it again and again … and again.
Until Fury can demonstrate he has the ability to provide thrills beyond winning decisions and getting up from knockdowns, Wilder is the man.
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Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury get physical at news conference