Having fought to a controversial draw in December 2018, the big rematch between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder is now just days away - Chris Oliver discusses the main talking points ahead of the highly anticipated clash in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Worth the wait
It's been a long time coming but there is no doubting this fight is much bigger second time around. Ahead of their first encounter, Fury still had to convince the public he was capable of getting back to anywhere near the sort of form he showed before his well-documented problems and time out of the ring, with two almost exhibition-style comeback fights telling us little. As for Wilder, despite his fantastic record of knockouts and defending his WBC belt seven times, he was struggling to command the interest of casual fans and had yet to crossover over into the mainstream market in the US.
Fast forward 15 months and things are very different. Firstly, unsatisfactory outcomes always generate added attention in a rematch and there was no shortage of controversy first time around, as Fury was deemed by many to have been unfairly denied the crowning glory of one of the greatest comebacks in boxing history. Although he was dropped twice, most observers believed the Brit was so dominant in the other 10 rounds that he deserved the decision and the clamour for a return bout began as soon as the words 'we have a draw' were announced by famed MC Jimmy Lennon Jr.
Wilder has produced highlight reel knockouts in both his subsequent outings and is now beginning to develop a big fanbase of his own. Heavyweights who consistently knock people out really resonate with sports fans outside of the hardcore boxing community and his countrymen finally seem to be getting on board with the man from Alabama.
That being said, he still may not be as popular in the States as his opponent. Fury signed a very lucrative promotional deal with Bob Arum and ESPN soon after the famous draw in LA and has been on a charm offensive in America ever since. He was extremely accessible to the media in 2019, popping up here, there and everywhere on both sides of the Atlantic, and his two bouts last year were pleasing for the casual viewers. He really sold himself to the American audience with his Apollo Creed-inspired ring walk and two-round blowout of the overmatched Tom Schwarz in June, and while September's decision victory over the previously unbeaten Otto Wallin was tougher than expected, the bloody tear-up was certainly entertaining. Most boxing fans mocked his subsequent participation in a WWE contest in Saudi Arabia, but that is the kind of exposure a promoter dreams of for their fighters and, if a wrestling cameo was good enough for Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson, then the man from Manchester would have been foolish to pass up such an opportunity.
While that infamous knockdown in the last round of the first fight ultimately cost Fury the win, it probably did more for his popularity than avoiding those thunderous shots and claiming a points victory would have done. The footage of him somehow rising to his feet after seemingly being knocked out cold by a huge one-two from one of the biggest punchers in history has been viewed millions of times on YouTube and he has been lauded as much for his miraculous powers of recovery than for his boxing skills in the previous 11 rounds. Parallels were drawn between that and his life outside of the ring, having dragged up himself out of deep depression to compete at the highest level again, and has added extra weight to his crusade to raise awareness for mental health.
Judges
The rhetoric in the build-up this time around from Campy Fury has been how they don't believe they can win a decision in the US after what happened last time, so they need to change their tactics and take it out of the hands of the judges. Is this really the case? I don't believe so. As bad as Alejandro Rochin's scorecard of 115-111 to Wilder was, which meant he somehow gave the champion five rounds aside from the two knockdown stanzas, the fact of the matter is that Fury would have claimed the belt if he had stayed on his feet in either the ninth or 12th sessions. So, in theory, a similar performance from the 'Gypsy King' should be enough to get the nod on the cards, providing he stays on his feet, which is obviously easier said than done against the dynamite-fisted Wilder. Fury is no stranger to mind games and he may be at it again, putting pressure on the judges by reminding them of how hard done-by he was and hoping they look more favourably on him second time around to avoid more controversy. This seemed to be the case in the last heavyweight title rematch of this magnitude between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield in 1999. In a similar scenario to this weekend, it was the British man who seen to have done more than enough in eyes of most observers, only for it to be announced as a draw, before Lewis got a unanimous decision verdict second time around, even though the rematch looked a much closer affair. Could history repeat itself on Saturday?
Trainer change
The big surprise in the build-up was the news that Fury had split with trainer Ben Davidson, the man who masterminded the ex-champion's comeback and was in the corner for all five fights since the layoff. Much more importantly than guiding Fury back to top of the boxing world, the young coach played a huge role in the fighter's recovery from mental health problems and helping him shed around 10 stone. That made the news that he was teaming up Javan 'Sugarhill' Steward, the nephew of Hall of Fame trainer Emmanuel Steward and now flying the flag of the famous Kronk Gym, all the more shocking, but Fury says he felt he needed to freshen things up. Making big changes so close to such an important fight is usually considered a dangerous move, but Fury is not your average fighter and is no stranger to changing his team. He moved gyms on a number of a occasions prior to teaming up with his uncle, Peter, which proved a very successful period and led to him dethroning long-time heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko. Consequently there were fears for how it would work out with Davidson after he fell out with Peter prior to his comeback, but that worked out fine and another shuffle of the pack may not be a bad thing for a man who seemingly gets bored easily. Steward is a good trainer in his own right, coaching the likes of world champions Anthony Dirrell and Ruslan Chagaev, and worked the corner with his legendary uncle in many big fights, so is very experienced. Furthermore, it is not the first time they have worked together, as Fury spent a period training, and living, with Sugarhill’s uncle in 2010, after which the latter went on record to predict that Fury would be the man to dominate the division after his own man, Klitschko, had retired. Therefore, they could be ready to finish what they started 10 years ago, and the fact that former Kronk star Mark Breland is in Wilder’s corner adds further spice to a tasty subplot.
Cut
Otto Wallin wasn’t hired to give Fury too much of a hard time in September. The unbeaten and untested Swede was meant to put up a good fight in defeat and make his opponent look good ahead of the Wilder return. However, the script was ripped up when the heavy favourite suffered a hellacious cut above his right eye and the bout turned into a toe-to-toe bloodbath, much to the delight of the fans but less so to anyone involved in the Fury business. The gash was so deep that Fury was fortunate to be allowed to continue and claim a points success, but it also put this rematch date in doubt as 47 stitches were required to repair the wound and many thought more than five months was needed for it to fully heal. Thus there is a very real possibility of it opening again if Wilder lands clean on that same eye, which would make the already tricky task of avoiding the bombs coming his way nearly impossible.
Future
The first name to come out of the winner's mouth after the fight will undoubtedly be Anthony Joshua. British boxing's golden boy holds the other three belts in the heavyweight division and the fans will be demanding a unification match next, but how realistic is that wish? For those wanting to see a unified champion then they should be cheering for a Fury victory this week as a domestic blockbuster between the two Brits would be much easier to make than Wilder and Joshua. The latter pair spent 38 months as champions at the same time prior to AJ being stopped by Andy Ruiz last June and never came close to getting it on, with both camps blaming the other for it not happening, so more of the same would likely beckon if the American prevails this weekend. Conversely, Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua, has said a deal could be made with Fury and his handler, Bob Arum, very easily for what would arguably the biggest fight ever seen on these shores. There is, however, an agreement already in place for a third fight between Wilder and Fury should they want it, so we could be in the same situation again in the summer if we don’t get a conclusive winner in Las Vegas on Saturday night.