By Geno McGahee
On October 9th, the third match will take place between WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, 30-0-1, 21 KO’s, and former champion, Deontay Wilder, 42-1-1, 41 KO’s, and there will be plenty of drama surrounding this fight before, during and after. The term “grudge match” is used a lot but it’s as true as it gets with these two giants.
It was December of 2018 when Fury returned to championship boxing to take on the undefeated knockout machine in Wilder. With his inactivity and lack of real competition, those that took to sports betting and gambling weren’t so sure about the big Brit. But the boxing fans hit the casinos and played some roulette online as well. In the fight, Fury made believers out of everyone as he climbed off the floor twice to earn a draw that many thought he won. A rematch was in order and it happened in February of 2020 and it was a different story.
Coming in heavier, at 273 pounds, Fury used his size to push Wilder around the ring and back. He learned in the first fight that Wilder could not fight when he’s backing up and that cost him dearly in this rematch. Wilder had no answer and took the beating of his life, getting stopped in the 7th round. He did not deal with defeat well.
After the loss, Wilder fired his trainer for stopping the fight and began a long list of excuses for the loss, none of which had anything to do with him. His costume was too heavy, Fury’s gloves were tampered, his water was drugged and the referee was on the take. Wilder wants to avenge the loss badly and even turned away step aside money so Fury could take on fellow Brit and champion, Anthony Joshua. No matter what happens, Wilder is obsessed with his Fury and getting revenge.
The third fight in the trilogy was initially set for July, but it has been moved to October after a Covid-19 scare in the Fury camp. Wilder has teamed up with a new trainer, Malik Scott, and vows to employ tactics that will make a big difference in this upcoming bout. It’s a tall order, but there is a route to victory for Wilder.
A focus on the jab to set up the crushing right had will help the chances of the former champion to take back the title. Fury will be coming directly at him again, but Wilder now knows that he’s not going to end the fight with one punch. He has to set up the groundwork to get the stoppage or land the shot that will end the fight.
The biggest obstacle for Wilder is the mental edge that Fury brings into the fight. He won by devastating knockout. He beat Wilder down. He stopped him. He showed that the destroyer could be backed up and bullied and that has not set well with Wilder but he may not be the raging monster that he’s saying he is. At the press conference, he was detached and wore headphones to remove himself. It looked like he was intimidated.
Fury’s weakness in this fight might be overconfidence and the letdown. He was set to face Anthony Joshua in possibly the richest fight in boxing history and now has to finish this obligation with Wilder. He was so dominant in the last fight that he might come into it just looking to walk through Wilder and not remembering the danger that he faces when the punches of Wilder are coming in his direction. If Fury allows Wilder to set anything up, he might be knocked out.
In October, on PPV, Fury-Wilder III will be dramatic and interesting where anything can happen and a feud might come to an end. Whatever happens in the boxing ring, it will be worth a watch.
