INTANGIBLES
Wilder
Aside from his sledgehammer right, Wilder’s most important attribute is his self-belief and poise inside the ring. Most punchers grow distressed when they can’t land their best shots. Wilder has never outwardly shown much frustration. Even in the first fight, when he continually missed with overhand rights, Wilder never stopped trying. His diligence was rewarded with a climactic 12-round knockdown. Fighters always tend to blow themselves out of proportion, but whenever Wilder proclaims, “I only need to be perfect for one second,” he is actually being accurate.
Fury
Fury says he plans to weigh in at around 270 pounds for Saturday night, which seems counterintuitive. At the same time, it’s clear that Fury is in the best shape he has been in years. And how about that gruesome, canyon-deep cut that opened over his right eye in the Wallin bout last year? The last thing Fury wants is to be wiping away blood while Wilder charges at him with shotgun rights. Maybe it’s just a rouse, but Fury has spent a lot of time on the publicity circuit. Not so much for the Wilder fight per se, but for his own career, like publishing an autobiography and partaking in a WWE event. One questions his focus.
Edge: Wilder