Should be an entertaining fight and not sure who I’m picking. Both fighters have awesome power, but both fighters also have vulnerabilities.
Fury is probably a better technical boxer than Wilder, but he hasn’t faced top-level competition since 2015 and it’s difficult to assess his skills. Wilder is a bomber - if he connects, it’s over. But he also leaves himself wide open. If Fury can somehow bait Wilder, he could catch him and rock him as he’s trying to throw one of his wild overhand rights. But if he mistimes his maneuvers and gets caught, then it’s lights out.
If I had to pick a winner, I’d probably go with Wilder mainly because I don’t think Fury has had anyone close to his level the past few years. Had this fight taken place in 2015, I would have taken Fury hands-down. But not now. Still, Wilder is facing a powerful puncher if Fury, and Fury is a good technical boxer. Not as good as Joshua, but good enough to win a fight if he’s on his game.
Pretty sure he was named after Mike Tyson, with a career path basically set by his family on that basis. So that part is not a coincidence. I wouldn’t be surprised if the surname was chosen for similar reasons, but I’m not familiar with the traditions of his community (Irish travellers, I believe). Apologies if you already knew this.
As to the fight, I’m no boxing expert, and I haven’t been following the build-up. Is Fury fit, both mentally and physically? Because he spent a large part of his post-Klitschko victory apparently not so. If he isn’t, then I wouldn’t give him much of a chance. If he is, I’d give him 40%, for the reasons outlined in the OP. What say the bookies?
If it goes to the cards, Fury will likely have used his superior ring craft and boxing skills to neuter Wilder. This is how he beat Klitschko - bored the beejesus out of him, without really taking any sort of shot, to the point where there was no prospect of a hometown decision for Klitschko. Fury’s problem with taking the fight to a decision will be that he’ll need two judges at minimum who appreciate boring but excellent defensive work. Wilder may still win a decision purely on activity.
A short fight favours Wilder - as the likeliest outcome in a short fight is that he’ll have connected and put Fury on his back.
Somewhat counter to Novelty Bobble, and to answer the question, I reckon Wilder by decision, precisely because it may well not settle anything, even in the event of the winner facing Joshua. If Wilder wins by decision, and Fury can credibly say he outboxed him and was “robbed”, Wilder can face Joshua and the winner of that can face Fury whilst he still has some credibility as either a rematch (for Wilder) or potent challenger (for Joshua). An early one-sided knockout doesn’t achieve this, as whoever wins Joshua-Wilder can reasonably ignore Fury.
Deeply cynical perhaps - but it’s a way for everyone to make off with at least one more huge payday.
Incidentally, if I’m right and there is a little mini tournament between these three guys, the one left standing will basically be left with Luis Ortiz as a credible challenger. Adam Kownacki and Jarrell Miller are both in the Ring Magazine top 10 and may be in position to challenge eventually.
The one all three of them (Joshua, Wilder, Fury) want no part of is Usyk. If he decides to step up from Cruiserweight, he’ll probably beat all three of them with distance to spare.
Didn’t see the fight but it was a draw. I did see some highlights of a vicious couple of 12th-round knockdowns by Wilder, which Fury somehow managed to survive. Fury apparently out-boxed Wilder, which isn’t surprising. Wilder is not really a great boxer and relies on his power to win. Fury is a pretty good boxer who also has good power, but not the same explosive power as Wilder. A rematch seems inevitable.
I think Joshua is a reasonably good bet to beat either of these fighters, though Fury might actually pose the stiffer challenge in some regards, given that he has a size and height advantage and also good boxing skills. He could be an opponent who frustrates Joshua and takes him into later rounds. Wilder just seems to leave himself too wide open to be a good opponent for Joshua’s crisp punches and combinations.
Fury has little power, actually Asahi - he’s unusually light-handed for such a huge man, but he is technically very good - superb movement that seems outlandish at that weight.
I listened to it on the wireless so haven’t seen it yet, but sounds like both fighters did themseves proud. I fancied Wilder to take it - a good boxer beats a good puncher nine times out of ten, but I just thought this was that one time out of ten. Fury’s crash diet would have him drowning down the stretch and I thought Wilder would eventually get to him. That happened, but Fury showed huge heart - I did see a clip of that 12th round knockdown, Jesus Christ, he climbed out of his own grave there. Looked like he was sleeping like a baby on the canvas.
Sounds like Fury won the fight by any objective measure, but this is boxing. You want the champ’s strap then you go into his back yard and you TAKE IT off him. Can’t really say Fury did that with getting sat down two times, but it was still a harsh decision.
Both fighters probably due a reevaulation after this fight - Fury showed astonishing character to come back with that level of performance, plus it was an entertaining fight for a change. More so Wilder, though - you can say he’s really limited or whatever, but facts are he went 12 with a far more accomplished technician, was never really hurt or in trouble, and put Fury down twice. I think if they rematch I’d favour him to prevail.
I don’t know Wilder well, but reading about him casually he seems like someone who could improve with more training. You can learn boxing skills, it’s hard to learn power.
There was a good Joe Rogan interview with Fury prior to the fight where he says how on earth is Wilder not better known - 40 fights, dynamite puncher with 39 KOs (39 Bums, mind, but Mike Tyson’s rep was built on Bumslaying) WBC HW champ of the world, plus a flamboyant, stylish persona.
You can point to the decreased relevance of boxing in the US, and the days of a societal Ali or Tyson figure are gone, but even so Wilder seems to have a curiously low profile.
This is why I wanted to see Wilder-Fury and why I want to see Fury or Wilder against Joshua. I was a huge boxing fan for years but migrated to MMA; now I’m slowly coming back to boxing and these guys in the heavies are why. Honestly, Wilder’s boxing sucks…but his spatial ability, his timing, his jab, and his devastating overhand right are keeping him relevant. But I think he’d be savaged by Anthony Joshua.
Wilder’s power comes from him ignoring most boxing technique and throwing his punches with everything he’s got. His techniques are designed to put him into a position where he can land one big right hand, because before Saturday most people didn’t think anyone could survive it.
Wilder is not going to change. He does just enough boxing to be able to survive against trained boxers, but he’s a high risk, high reward kinda fighter. His fight with Ortiz was a good illustration of this. He eventually took out Ortiz, but not before Ortiz had Wilder in some serious danger, which is the result of Wilder’s risky defense. Wilder, to his credit, can take punishment, which is why he gets away with it. But in my estimation, he has yet to face a fighter who can put it all together. Anthony Joshua, in my view, is that guy. A technical boxer, who can set up punches and execute a strategy over the course of several rounds, and who has the accuracy, the timing, and boxing acumen to take a guy like Wilder apart in later rounds.
Fury is a good fighter - a better boxer than Wilder and many other heavies. He’s a big guy who obviously possesses a fair amount of natural raw power, but Anthony Joshua’s more like Iron Mike Tyson in that his speed and his technique enable him to deliver crisp punches and combinations that just rip through opponents. I don’t think Joshua’s quite as strong as Mike Tyson was - maybe more like Holyfield. Although not naturally the strongest heavyweight, he has crushing combinations and accuracy and knowledge of the boxing game that will eventually wear opponents out.
Damn that was brutal - Wilder totally outclassed. Expected way more from him but I guess he basically is that limited - a career haymaker merchant. Brilliant from Fury to crown his comeback.
Fury came in quite a bit heavier than last time at 19 and a half stone and seemed completely comfortable with it, said he felt like a beast. Sounds like his enormous shrinkage down from 400 lb has muddied the waters as to what weight he should be fighting at. He’s been lighter in his two keep-busy fights last year and looked awful.
Talk now is that he will honour the rematch clause with Wilder. Take the money I guess if it is there, although I can’t see much public appetite for that over the Joshua matchup.
Wilder must be suffering brain damage if he as a 230 lb man blames a 40lb costume for wearing down his legs (and not his relentless pacing back and forth in his locker room). He is blaming everyone and everything but himself. Tyson Fury will be quite pleased to add a few more tens of millions to his cashstack to brutally kick his ass again.
I watched the fight last night (thanks Youtubers with iPhones!) and I thought both guys looked like terrible boxers. Evander Holyfield or a similarly skilled pugilist would have destroyed either of them IMO.