A lot happens before, during and after a big fight.
Here is list of things to keep an eye on in the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury heavyweight title rematch Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on pay-per-view.
Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs) and Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs) fought to a controversial draw in their first fight, on Dec. 1, 2018 in Los Angeles.
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FURY’S WEIGHT
Fury has said he expects to weigh in today at 270 pounds, 13½ more than his weight for the first fight. He said that weight is more natural for him, although one wonders whether it would slow him down. The added heft presumably would make it a little more difficult for the relatively lean Wilder to push Fury around, although Wilder, who weighed 212½ for the first fight, also expects to come in heavier for the rematch.
FURY’S STRATEGY
The lineal champion has made it clear that he plans to fight more aggressively in the rematch than he did in the original. As part of that change, he split with defense-oriented trainer Ben Davison and hired SugarHill Steward, a nephew and disciple of Emanuel Steward who promotes a power-punching philosophy. Fury, a big man, obviously has some power but he has always been a boxer first and foremost.
THE CUT
Fury suffered a huge gash (as well as a smaller one) above his right eye in his victory over Otto Wallin in September. Many suggested that it was so bad that the fight would’ve been stopped if the rematch with Wilder hadn’t been on the horizon. The cut has healed. It might be no factor whatsoever in the fight Saturday. Then again, it might be susceptible to being reopened as a result of just the right punch or clash of heads. Let’s hope blood plays no role in the outcome.
THE SECOND ROUND
That’s when Fury boldly predicted he would stop Wilder. Most dismiss it as bluster, perhaps a way to build interest in the fight and part of the mind games fighters play before they face one another in the ring. But who knows? Fury seems to be adamant in his belief that he can hurt Wilder. He wasn’t able to do so in the first fight, at least not obviously, but maybe he saw or felt enough to conclude that Wilder is vulnerable.
WILDER’S PATIENCE
Wilder has said repeatedly that one reason it took him so long to put Fury down is that he was overly eager to score a spectacular knockout in his biggest fight to that point. He was able to connect, he said, only when he settled down. And he said he has learned his lesson. He plans to take his time in the rematch, set up the knockout punch and deliver it when an opening presents itself. That’s what he did in the Ortiz fight.
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WILDER’S RIGHT HAND
Of course, you don’t need to be reminded to keep an eye on Wilder’s principal weapon. He instantly and dramatically turned out the lights on Dominic Breazeale and Luis Ortiz since he met Fury the first time with arguably the most powerful punch in the history of the sport. He definitely can do the same in the rematch with Fury. The question is whether he’ll be able to make a direct hit on his target.
WILDER’S ACTIVITY
The champ has had the tendency to focus more on landing the big punch than throwing enough shots to win rounds. That’s what happened in the first fight with Fury, in which Wilder was well behind on two of the three cards after six rounds. He was behind on all three in the second Ortiz fight before ending matters in Round 7. If falls behind and then fails to score a knockout, he again risks losing a decision.
WILL FURY GET UP THIS TIME?
The most memorable aspect of the first fight was Fury’s ability to get up from a right-left knockdown in the final round. One moment he seemed semi-conscious, the next he was on his feet and exchanging punches. Could he do that again? Here’s something to think about: The pivotal right hand landed in a dangerous place, above Fury’s ear, but it wasn’t the kind of missile that stopped Breazeale and Ortiz. We’ll see what happens if that sort punch finds its target.
THE SCORECARDS
Fury and his supporters insist that he was robbed in the first fight. They believe he won virtually every round except the two in which he went down. Wilder supporters counter that he had to win only three of the other 10 rounds to earn a draw, which seems reasonable. In the end, Fury has decided that he cannot win a decision in the U.S. regardless of his performance. Can he? All three judges are American.
THIRD FIGHT?
The loser can call for a third fight, as per the contract. Of course, that would depend on what happens on Saturday. A one-sided decision or brutal knockout – or boring fight – might prompt the loser to look elsewhere for the time being while a compelling fight would generate interest in one more lucrative meeting. Wilder-Fury could end up becoming a classic heavyweight rivalry.
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