Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury: Three talking points

It’s almost a year since Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder took to the ring at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. On a night of hard-fought, high-level heavyweight boxing, a split-decision draw was the result despite both fighters feeling they had done enough to win.

Both have continued their good form since then, with Fury winning fights against Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin, and Wilder seeing off Dominic Breazeale with a repeat fight against Luis Ortiz also lined up for the end of November. Both Fury and Wilder have, without doubt, had their sights set on their mouth-watering rematch, rumored to take place in February 2020.

Given Fury’s strong showing in the first fight, he is the favorite in the latest odds on the boxing match Tuson vs Fury. Let’s take a look at a few talking points ahead of this much-anticipated bout.

Wilder looking to assert his dominance

Before facing Fury in December 2018, Wilder boasted an undefeated record. With 40 wins to his name at the time and 39 of those by knockout, the ‘Bronze Bomber’ was the favorite before the clash. Fury had made his return to professional boxing six months previously, and it was expected that Wilder’s unrivaled punching power would be too much, too soon for Fury.

The WBC heavyweight champion perhaps underestimated his opponent, with many spectators saying Fury deserved the victory. The draw will have somewhat shook Wilder, and he’ll be eager to give a more dominant performance in the rematch. Fury, with all his champion pedigree, was the toughest opponent Wilder had faced in his professional career but in the rematch, he will know what to expect and will be better prepared for the occasion.

Fury’s quest to complete his comeback

The four years since Fury defeated Wladimir Klitschko have felt a long time due to the many ups and downs the ‘Gypsy King’ has endured since. By defeating the Ukrainian, he won the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles, but was stripped of the IBF belt less than two weeks later after refusing to take on mandatory challenger Vyacheslav Glazkov.

Fury’s struggle with his mental health began to take hold, and he vacated his remaining belts before also being stripped of The Ring Magazine title as well. In his new autobiography, he lays bare how he suffered from depression following his victory over Klitschko as a combination of alcoholism, drug use and poor diet caused him to spiral towards a dark place.

But Fury has mounted a remarkable comeback over the last 18 months. He has become stronger with each passing fight since returning to the ring against Sefer Seferi in June 2018 and his performance against Wilder proved that he is back to his best. If he can win the rematch, it will be the fitting completion of a dramatic sporting revival.

What it means for heavyweight boxing

It will be interesting to see what happens in the heavyweight division after the fight, whoever comes out on top. If Fury wins, then Wilder’s response to losing for the first time will be under close scrutiny. A Wilder victory would leave Fury licking his wounds, and the ‘Gypsy King’ is unlikely to be satisfied until he can call himself a world champion once again. He has even stated that a third fight could take place between the two should Wilder be up for it.

Anthony Joshua will be an interested onlooker. AJ has his own fish to fry at the moment as he looks o avenge his defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr, but if he can recover his titles then a unification bout could be on the cards with either Wilder or Fury. Joshua will have to prove himself against both men sooner or later, and so the next few years are set to provide plenty of excitement in heavyweight boxing.