Wilder vs Fury 2: Will the Sequel Be Better?

WBC champion Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury reunite for a colossal heavyweight rematch

Unfortunately, Wilder is good enough at what he does, to make the crux of the fight singular. Can Fury avoid Wilder’s devastating right hand for the entire 36 minutes?

It’s really that simple. Especially seeing as how Wilder landed two in the first meeting in December 2018.

There are a few details to consider. Wilder wasn’t able to do much with his right hand, due to an arm injury, during camp for the first fight.

On Fury’s side, the first fight came six months after his return from a 31-month break from the sport. Fury fought lesser-knowns Sefer Seferi and Francesco Pianeta as part of that return.

Ahead of Saturday’s fight, the recent history of each fighter settles very little.

Since Wilder and Fury Last Shared the Ring

Wilder violently stopped top contenders Domonique Breazeale and Luis Ortiz with single right hands in the first and seventh round, respectively. The conclusions in both fights might suggest the “Wilder way” works – less is more.

Fury blitzed an over-matched Tom Schwarz in two rounds in June. However, he sustained a severe cut above his right eye in the subsequent bout versus Otto Wallin in mid-September. The cut appeared to jeopardize the fight, and the looming Wilder rematch, but Fury bit down to earn a wide decision. In doing so, Fury regained control of the fight working from close-range.

If either fighter gained anything in the interim, the winner is Wilder. He dominated better competition, accrued minimal damage, and the exciting wins only add to the champion’s confidence.

Fury didn’t lose much ground. In Schwarz, he ran roughshod over a bigger heavyweight. Wallin had a few great moments, but maybe the experience grounded Fury somewhat. Moreover, having to make the adjustments he made, may pay dividends Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Fury’s Keys for the Rematch

Fury’s success on the inside versus Wallin, in the face of that adversity, may be a key change-up tactic to consider relying on more against Wilder. Fighting from close-range, and possibly spending more time in the southpaw stance increase the time Wilder needs to study his opponents prior to his big strikes.

Another key change for Fury is his switch to Kronk Gym trainer SugaHill Steward. The move resulted in Fury stating that he intends to seek a second-round KO. Fury’s strengths don’t include exceptional KO power. However, a combination of inside fighting that includes a hefty amount of power punching enhances the result of a weakened Wilder later in the fight. Wilder dropped Fury in the 12th round of the first fight, so he should understand the need to accumulate enough punishment to diminish Wilder’s power. A weakened Wilder should be a component to finishing the last quarter of the fight. Additionally, Fury must maintain his movement, avoid being at the end of Wilder’s power and to check whether the southpaw stance acts as a deterrent.

These are pieces to a game plan Fury could apply as the fight unfolds and adjustments are required. However, Wilder could eliminate all of this.

Wilder Must Add Small Changes

Wilder should avoid attempting to out-box Fury for the sake of showing critics what’s all in his bag. For his offensive strategy, he must avoid head-hunting Fury, and only looking to land his big punch. If Wilder adds a busier jab, commits to a small amount of bodywork, the champion increases the likelihood of landing a bigger punch earlier. He knows what to do from there.

Conclusion

Ahead of Saturday, and following a rare over-the-top promotional push by Fox Sports and ESPN, Wilder sounds focused and ready. He rests assured in his mission to finish the job this time, and to deliver the power he always provides. Fury’s a ‘fighting man’ and he’ll arrive with his footwork and unsettling movement. At times, his remarks have seemed erratic, hopefully, he was too focused on his preparation, and his trash talk suffered as a result. Saturday night, expect both men to be at their best, and for the night to culminate in a clear winner. We’ll briefly have one face and one name, until Sunday morning, when we move onto the possibility of one champion in boxing’s grandest division.

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