The Power and the Glory: Deontay Wilder v Tyson Fury WBC heavyweight championship of the world
By Gary Todd
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 30 Nov 2018
With only days to go, and all the preparation done. All the talk, the insults, and the hype is over, these two behemoths will meet, centre ring to see who is better, with the winner taking the WBC strap over the pond, to fight Anthony Joshua for his belts, and the undisputed heavyweight crown. This is a massive fight.
Wilder and Fury debuted in 2008, fighting their way up the rankings, before stepping up to face the best that was put in front of them. They quite simply destroyed them all, with a combined 67 [58 KOs] fight win streak, they cleaned out the heavyweight division. [well almost] Fighting opponents like, Derek Chisora, Vinny Maddalone, Kevin Johnson, Steve Cunningham, and Christian Hammer, Tyson Fury wasn?t exactly setting the world on fire, as his style wasn?t pleasing to the fans. He was winning, and he was talking himself up a lot, but he just wasn?t your typical heavyweight champion.
When he signed to fight Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, I wasn?t surprised, but I wasn?t excited either, and I didn?t think Wlad would have too many problems in keeping his unbeaten run, and his belts. I watched the fight, and I wish I hadn?t.
Did he get Klitschko at the right time? Did he fight a good fight? Was he underestimated by the champion? My thoughts are, no. I think Klitschko didn?t fight well, and he allowed Fury to fight his fight. Fury used his weight and his awkward style to smother anything that Klitschko tried to throw [which wasn?t much] I also think that the champion didn?t see Fury as much of a threat, and at that stage of his career, he needed a test, which in his mind, wasn?t Tyson Fury. It wasn?t pretty, but Fury won and he fought a clever fight.
Tyson Fury tears his shirt in a confrontation with Deontay Wilder during Wednesday's press conference in Los Angeles.
Around about the same time, Deontay Wilder was doing his thing, having just beaten Olympic gold medallist, Audley Harrison by a first round stoppage, sending the Englishman into retirement.
From there he fought Bermane Stiverne, [twice] Artur Szpilka, Chris Arreola, and the ageing Luis Ortiz, knocking him down multiple times to win in the 10th round. That fight, and his other fights leading up to that fight, made Deontay Wilder valid, vulnerable, but tough, and also wild and raw, all at the same time. Like Fury, he could talk, and like the Englishman, he loved the camera.
While Wilder was knocking out whoever was put in front of him, Fury was knocking back anything that he could drink, and it seemed his fighting days were well and truly over.
Since taking Klitschko?s crown, Fury?s life had spiraled into chaos, with drink, drugs, and mental health problems, and after being stripped of the titles he won in Germany, he was then on a path of self destruction, which many thought he wouldn?t come through alive.
After more than two years away from boxing, he managed to turn his life around, and was cleared to fight again. He came back, over weight, but with a goal of becoming heavy weight champion of the world once more.
His comeback fight was terrible, and it was a circus. The one after that wasn?t much better, but he did look like he had his timing back, and he showed tremendous footwork for such a huge man. It was then announced that next up was a shot at Wilder and his WBC crown. The only belt he didn?t have in his collection. The fight was on for power and glory.
With only days to go, this fight is intriguing in many ways.
Do you go for Wider and his explosive speed, his athletic abilities, his superb cardio, his raw power and wild punching style? Wilder also has the ability to position his feet, to get in close to land serious punches, and also his ability to throw big punches from his wide stance, to stop Fury from fighting his fight, or do you go for Fury with his evasive boxing skills, enabling him to seamlessly switch from orthodox to southpaw.
Fury confuses, unsettles, and frustrates his opponents, being able to set the fight to his pace, leaning, tying up, holding, and smothering Wilder?s best work, while counter punching off the breaks, and off the ropes, to win on points.
For me, I am going with Wilder to be the first man to take him out. To do this, he will need to hurt him, put him down, and if he gets up, he needs to jump on Fury to finish him off.
Wilder TKO in 8th round.
Gary Todd has been involved in all aspects in the sport of boxing for over 30 years. He is an international best selling author with his books on world champions and their workouts, ?Workout?s from Boxing?s Greatest Champs ? volumes 1 and 2.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Gary Todd.
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