Tag Archives: Deontay Wilder

Posted on 07/19/2022

By John “Gutterdandy” Walker

Finland’s Robert Helenius provided one of heavyweight boxing’s highlights of 2021 when he destroyed the heavily hyped Adam Kownacki for the second time in two fights on the undercard of the final bout in the Fury vs Wilder trilogy in Las Vegas.

“The Nordic Nightmare” had already stopped Kownacki in round four of their first encounter in 2020, in a bout that Kownacki supporters deemed a mistake, one they claimed their man would rectify in a rematch. Helenius (31-3, 20 KOs), however, showed he was truly back in terrifying form, after a long spell of mediocre results following a severe shoulder injury, when he busted up the Polish born fighter in the rematch, breaking his left orbital bone on the way to a sixth round TKO win.

For his efforts, Helenius was presented with a “gold belt” by the WBA.

His second destruction of Kownacki was a truly impressive performance, and now Helenius is waiting to prove himself once again. And at age 38, he is growing anxious to get back in the ring sooner rather than later.

However, the static nature of the current heavyweight division in 2022, with its endless rematches and long, tedious spells between title fights, is now working against the Finnish brawler.

Having waited long enough, Helenius is now speaking out. In a recent interview with Sky Sports, the Finn expressed his impatience, saying that he should rightfully be next in line for a title shot against the winner of the upcoming title rematch between current champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine and former titleholder Anthony Joshua of the UK.

Helenius says the WBA has mishandled his situation.

“I definitely should be next,” Helenius told Sky Sports.

“Every elimination bout after mine is bullshit! At this point, if we are not designated the mandatory after Usyk’s next fight, we will have only one option. My lawyers are very confident that the WBA have bungled this whole thing, so I am confident in my position,” Helenius argues.

The Nordic Nightmare has also in recent days been mentioned by promoter Frank Warren and manager Shelly Finkel as a possible opponent for the former WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder in a comeback fight this fall. It was Helenius who sparred with Wilder in the lead-up to the final, brutal match in the latter man’s trilogy with Tyson Fury.

Helenius, however, is keeping his eyes on the prize: a heavyweight title fight that he feels he has earned.

“For now, I will just stay focused on training and see how Usyk versus Joshua and my WBA situation plays out,” Helenius says.

“But I remain in a great position for something very big in the coming months for sure.”

Posted on 01/27/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Fans of Dereck Chisora were ambivalent when the news began circulating.

Despite coming off a one-sided unanimous decision defeat at the hands of former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker, promoter Eddie Hearn mentioned hard-hitting former WBC titlist Deontay Wilder as a possible opponent for Chisora.

Wilder, 36, is coming off a brutal 11th round stoppage defeat at the hands of Tyson Fury in October of 2021. Although Wilder was ultimately put away, the Alabama native dropped the current heavyweight champion twice in the fourth round and battled him tooth and nail throughout.

Since revealing his thoughts, a possible showdown between Chisora and Wilder has been met with a mixed bag of emotions. However, despite his fans vacillating over the outcome of their feasible clash, Chisora is uninterested in hearing from those who would like for him to avoid Wilder altogether.

“Some people say no, some people say yes but it’s up to me,” said Chisora to IFL TV. “I say yes. If it’s a good fight we wanna make it happen. We wanna make good fights happen.”

Chisora, 38, currently finds himself embroiled in a tough stretch. Following three consecutive victories in 2019, the British product has gone the other way.

At the tail end of 2020, Chisora attempted to derail the title hopes of Ukrainian star Oleksandr Usyk. Although Chisora had his moments, he was ultimately out-boxed by the current unified heavyweight champion. In an attempt to dust himself off and return to the win column, Chisora faced off against Parker in May of 2021.

While Chisora would score an early knockdown in the first round, Parker would rally back to win a close split decision. Seven months later, as previously mentioned, Chisora would come up short in their immediate rematch.

Although Parker and several others believe that Chisora should ultimately retire, the fringe contender has no intentions of doing so. If a bout against Wilder can ultimately be made, Chisora will gladly welcome the hard-hitting American with opened arms.

“Most fighters don’t wanna fight, I like to fight.”

Posted on 01/25/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Tyson Fury, at least according to most, is considered the best heavyweight in the world.

That said, at the age of 33, Fury is much closer to the end of his boxing journey, rather than the beginning. Although promoter Bob Arum is thoroughly enjoying his time promoting his heavyweight fights, he believes Jared Anderson is primed and ready to replace him when Fury decides to walk away.

“Yes, that’s what I really believe he will be,” said Arum to Sky Sports. ”When Fury hangs up the gloves, Jared will be in pole position to become the next great heavyweight.”

So far, the 22-year-old Anderson continues to impress. In 2021, in particular, the highly-rated prospect had an extremely robust schedule. Following four stoppage victories, Anderson received high praise from Fury himself. The current WBC heavyweight titlist tabbed Anderson as a future world champion following his second-round knockout win over Oleksandr Teslenko.

While Fury continues to sing his praises, Arum has taken his admiration for Anderson to a whole other level.

“Mike Tyson was a tremendous puncher who didn’t show much boxing ability. Jared has shown boxing ability and power. He reminds me of a young Muhammad Ali.”

To further his belief in Anderson, Arum is interested in matching him tough. With Fury officially closing the door on his rivalry against former champion Deontay Wilder, Arum is now angling to spark the competitive fire between Wilder and Anderson.

Prior to his three-part fight series against Fury, Wilder viciously halted every heavyweight he stepped into the ring against. Even with his record now sullied by Fury, Arum still considers him a terrific fighter with a one-of-a-kind punch. Still, regardless of the superlative words Arum uses to describe Wilder, the long-time promoter believes that by the tail of the year, Anderson will be ready to face him.

“Wilder is a terrific talent. He hits like a mule, as Tyson would attest to. Pretty much anybody in the heavyweight division would lose to Wilder. The one guy who will be equipped to beat him, by the end of this year, is Anderson. I would be prepared to discuss a potential Wilder vs. Anderson fight by the end of this year. We are grooming him to be the next heavyweight champion after Fury.”

Posted on 01/21/2022

By: Hans Themistode

With the proliferation of current and former UFC fighters entering the sport of boxing, Francis Ngannou is very much interested in joining his MMA brethren.

On numerous occasions, the UFC heavyweight belt holder has exchanged verbal threats with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The British product has gone as far as to say that he would be willing to face Ngannou in a boxing ring while wearing UFC-style gloves. Considering their consistent verbal tirades, Ngannou is as motivated as ever to make their showdown a reality.

“Very much,” said Ngannou to Michael Bisping when asked if he was interested in facing Fury in the near future. “That will happen. In the past two years, Tyson Fury and I have been going back and forth on social media. It seems like he’s ready for that.”

Although Ngannou dreams of entering the squared circle and standing across the ring from Fury, he has business to attend to in the UFC’s octagon. Tomorrow night, the Cameroon native will look to defend his crown against interim champion Ciryl Gane. Presently, Ngannou finds himself a slight underdog in their upcoming showdown.

Should Ngannou pull out the victory, he’ll place even more attention on his future boxing ventures. Win or lose tomorrow night, Ngannou’s current UFC contract is set to expire. And while he has ultimately revealed that he would love to re-sign, Ngannou admitted that he refuses to do so unless his new UFC deal will allow him to partake in the boxing world as well.

If Ngannou’s wish is granted, he wouldn’t be willing to immediately face Fury as soon as possible. Though Ngannou is confident in his own abilities, he believes it would be foolish of him to jump into the ring against arguably the best heavyweight in the world so soon.

“For now, I’m working on my striking and on my boxing but I can’t count on that to go box a guy like Tyson Fury. This guy is an experienced boxing champion. You need to get the proper boxing training. It’s not a joke, he’s the real deal.”

Fury, 33, recently closed the door on his longtime rivalry with former heavyweight belt holder Deontay Wilder. Throughout the career of Wilder, the Alabama native has gained a reputation of being quite possibly the biggest puncher in the entire sport.

Despite Wilder registering knockout wins in 41 of his 45 career contests, however, Ngannou also has a penchant for brutalizing his competition. With five consecutive wins via stoppage, Ngannou didn’t hesitate when asked who is the heavier hitter between himself and Wilder.

“Me,” said Ngannou while chuckling. “We can try that.”

Posted on 01/10/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Despite no longer holding his WBC heavyweight title, Deontay Wilder’s name still strikes fear into the hearts of many. With the Alabama native stopping all but one of his opponents, he’s widely considered to be one of the most pernicious punchers the boxing world has ever seen.

Still, regardless of his penchant for violent knockouts, Dereck Chisora is more than willing to face him.

“I’m open to anything,” said Chisora during an interview with Talk Sport. “I love fighting. What most people don’t understand is some people want to have the perception of being boxers on Instagram.”

Chisora, 38, is currently in the midst of one of the worst stretches in his career. On December 18th in Manchester Arena, Chisora was sent to the canvas a total of three times before losing a fairly wide decision at the hands of former heavyweight belt holder Joseph Parker. The loss for Chisora represented his third straight.

Although Chisora might be struggling to find his form, promoter Eddie Hearn believes the fringe contender has more than what it takes to not only compete with Wilder but ultimately, knock him off his high horse.

“He can beat Deontay Wilder,” said Hearn recently to IFL TV. “If he gets hit in the first three or four rounds, well, maybe at any time in the fight, it’s potentially over. But he can outlast Deontay Wilder and wear him down.”

At one point, Wilder was a proud owner of the WBC heavyweight title. But, following back-to-back losses against Tyson Fury, both of which ended before the sound of the final bell, Wilder is now pondering his next move. Presently, the 36-year-old has yet to make up his mind but he has flirted with the idea of hanging up his gloves for good.

However, until Wilder officially packs away his boxing trunks and walks off into the sunset, he remains a top name in the division.

As Chisora carefully looks over his own resume, the British native begins to smirk incredulously. Having faced the likes of Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, Vitali Klitschko, David Haye, Dillian Whyte, and a long list of other notable names, Chisora is proud to have shared the ring with some of the best heavyweights of his era.

If, by chance, Chisora is given the opportunity to lace up his gloves against Wilder, he appears unfazed by facing one of the heaviest hitters in boxing history.

“I want to be that guy that when I sit down and everybody looks at my resume, I want to say, ‘You know what, I fought everybody in my era.’ I don’t want to let people decide for me, I decide for myself and be happy with the decision I make. So if I have to fight Deontay Wilder, if I have to fight whoever, if I have to fight an American, I don’t care, I will fight.”

Posted on 01/05/2022

By: Hans Themistode

The losses are rapidly piling up for heavyweight fringe contender Dereck Chisora.

At the age of 38, Chisora has yet to pick up a win since facing off against David Price in 2019. Since then, the British native has found himself on the losing end of three razor-close decisions.

On Halloween day in 2020, Chisora gave current unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk all he could handle. While the rough and rugged contender would push the Ukrainian star, he was unable to secure the victory. Seven months later, Chisora would suffer defeat again, this time at the hands of Joseph Parker.

Most recently, both Chisora and Parker locked horns in an immediate rematch. Although he gave it everything he had, Chisora was dropped three times before losing a close unanimous decision.

With another defeat smeared on his resume, many, including Parker, have urged the 38-year-old to call it a career. Promoter Eddie Hearn, on the other hand, doesn’t believe Chisora is necessarily slowing down.

“I don’t see Dereck Chisora deteriorating,” said Hearn during an interview with IFL TV. “But what I do see is him in a lot of tough fights. He’s losing to elite heavyweights.”

Even with Chisora hitting a rough patch and seemingly near the end of his rope, Hearn believes he can still compete with some of the division’s best. With former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder currently in the midst of his own difficult stretch, having suffered back-to-back stoppage defeats at the hands of Tyson Fury, Hearn has begun fantasizing about a showdown between the pair.

In no way, shape, or form does Hearn believe Chisora will be outclassed by the former titlist. In fact, if the long-time promoter were a gambling man, he’d wager that Chisora could pull off the upset, provided he stayed out of harm’s way.

“I wouldn’t suggest it but if Del [Chisora] wants to fight Deontay Wilder, he can beat Deontay Wilder. If he gets hit in the first three or four rounds, well, maybe at any time in the fight, it’s potentially over but he can outlast Deontay Wilder and wear him down. For me, I’m not out there actively looking for a fight for Dereck Chisora vs. Deontay Wilder but I can’t deny, I’m interested to watch it.”

Posted on 11/11/2021

By: Hans Themistode

The momentum swings were enough to keep Andy Ruiz Jr. on the edge of his seat.

On October 9th, at the T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada, both Tyson Fury, and Deontay Wilder squared off for the third and presumably final time in their respective careers. In the early goings, it appeared to be all Fury as he registered a knockdown in the third. Then, in the blink of an eye, Wilder stormed back, scoring two knockdowns of his own in the four.

Though they would fight on fairly even terms for the remainder of their contest, Fury finished their encounter strong, stopping Wilder in the 11th round. With such a grueling showdown, both men will look to take a long and needed break from the sport.

While Fury appears to be heading towards a matchup against perennial contender Dillian Whyte sometime in 2022, Wilder’s future is still very much up in the air.

As for Ruiz Jr., the former unified heavyweight champion is still on the comeback trail. Since dropping his world titles to Anthony Joshua in December of 2019, six months after causing the monumental upset against the British native, Ruiz Jr. returned to the ring against fringe contender Chris Arreola.

Despite being a huge favorite, Ruiz Jr. was forced to peel himself up off the deck before nabbing the unanimous decision win. Since then, the 31-year-old was hoping to return to the ring at the back end of 2021. However, those plans were scrapped due to the former heavyweight titlist undergoing right knee surgery.

With one eye closely on both Fury and newly crowned champion, Oleksandr Usyk, Ruiz Jr. is well aware that he’s still a few fights away from challenging for another world title. Although names such as Luis Ortiz and Charles Martin are intriguing options for the Mexican native, he appears to be locked in on a future showdown against Wilder.

“I think that would be an amazing fight, me against Deontay Wilder,” said Ruiz Jr. during an interview with Brian Custer on The Last Stand Podcast. “We’re both a part of the same team you know. I wouldn’t mind getting into the ring with him. I feel like I can beat him. We gotta get it on.”

Posted on 10/14/2021

By: Hans Themistode

There was no doubt in the mind of Deontay Wilder that he would violently put an end to his rivalry with Tyson Fury. After sharing the ring with Fury on two separate occasions, the pair squared off one, and presumably final time, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 9th, in front of a jam-packed crowd.

Following an epic back and forth battle, Wilder was unavailable immediately after due to the Alabama native being rushed to the hospital to receive medical attention. With a long list of names to thank, Wilder started from the beginning.

“Wow, what a hell of a night,” said Wilder on his social media account. “I would like to first and foremost thank God for allowing me to give the world another part of me that’s driven with passion and determination. I would like to thank my team and my fans for sticking by my side through this long process.”

Wilder’s aforementioned drive and determination were on full display at T-Mobile Arena. After coming out strong in the opening round, Wilder appeared to be on his way to suffering yet another, early knockout defeat at the hands of Fury. The British native and current WBC heavyweight titlist floored Wilder in the third round.

While it wasn’t the start Wilder was looking for, he bounced back nicely in the following frame. The hard-hitting former titlist landed a straight right hand down the pike that sent Fury to the deck. Fury managed to crawl back to his feet but found himself looking up at the ceiling lights just a few seconds later.

Ultimately, the two would enjoy plenty of success throughout but it was Fury who stole the show at the end. With Wilder gasping for air and seemingly on an empty gas tank, Fury dropped his man in the tenth round before eventually finishing him off in the 11th.

Although the second loss of his career is now plastered to his record, Wilder has decided to view things in a positive light.

“I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t disappointed in the outcome. But, after reflecting on my journey, I now see that what God wanted me to experience is far greater than what I expected to happen. We didn’t get the win but a wise man once said the victories are within the lessons. I’ve learned that sometimes you have to lose to win. Hopefully, I proved that I am a true warrior and a true king in this sport.”

Having his hand raised in victory was the end goal for Wilder but even as he sauntered out of the ring in disappointment, he couldn’t help but notice the smiles on the faces of fans and the appreciation they exuded for the grueling battle he just endured.

“Although I wanted the win I enjoyed seeing the fans win even more.”

In a recent video clip, Fury was seen going to the corner of Wilder to shake his hand. However, Wilder can be heard stating “no love, I don’t respect you.”

Having had time to sit down and reflect on his rivalry with Fury, Wilder no longer appears surly with what has taken place. In the end, while Wilder may have appeared to have a genuine disdain and disgust for Fury, as he analyzes the incredible three battles they shared over the course of three years, he tips his cap in respect to Fury. In the end, the two will be intertwined in the boxing annals until the end of time.

“I would like to congratulate Tyson Fury for his victory and thank you for the great historical memories that will last forever.”

Posted on 10/14/2021

By: Romer Cherubim

Tyson Fury’s 11th round knockout of Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas crowned a masterful performance by Fury. However, we should be aware that Fury has a team, which has also contributed to his success. The development of this match-winning team started when Fury returned to boxing in 2018 after a two and half year absence from the sport.

On his return to the ring, Fury joined forces with the experienced promoter Frank Warren. Warren arranged two tune-up fights for Fury in quick succession, knowing full well that it was important not to throw Fury in at the deep end, but instead re-introduce Fury to heavyweight boxing gently.

Fury fought Sefer Seferi on 09 June and then Francesco Pianeta on 18 August. Fury won both fights and, in the process, had much needed ring time. These fights served as preparation for the real test for Fury – his challenge for the WBC title against Deontay Wilder on 01 December 2018. The match was judged a draw amid much controversy as many commentators considered that Fury had done enough to win the fight. The Gypsy King then fought Tom Schwarz on 15 June 2019 and Otto Wallin on 14 September the same year, with Fury again winning both contests.

In all Fury’s comeback fights, he was trained by Ben Davison, who was widely credited for helping Fury to lose weight so that he could be in the best possible condition to fight. Following the Wallin fight and with a rematch against Wilder in mind, Fury however considered that he could not take the chance of fighting Wilder again and leaving the decision in the hands of the judges.

Fury, therefore, hired Javan ‘SugarHill’ Steward to be his new head trainer for the rematch against Wilder. SugarHill is the nephew of Emmanuel Steward, the famous trainer of heavyweight champions Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko. SugarHill Steward was a natural choice for Fury’s new head trainer as SugarHill had worked at his uncle’s Kronk Gym when he first met Fury in 2010. As a trainer, SugarHill has a more attack based philosophy, encouraging Fury to add to his obvious skills as a boxer and become a dangerous fighter. This approach was exactly what Fury needed when fighting Deontay Wilder for the second time.

Tyson Fury fought Wilder again on 22 February 2020. Fury took the fight to Wilder and dominated the rematch, winning by way of technical knockout in the seventh round. Fury, of course, went one better in the trilogy fight on 09 October, knocking out Deontay Wilder in the eleventh round. Fury was effusive in his praise of SugarHill after the fight, saying: ‘I need to thank my trainer. Without this man, I wouldn’t have knocked him out.’

If further proof is needed that Tyson Fury truly has an embarrassment of riches in his team, he also has the support of Bob Arum. This Harvard-educated lawyer and boxing promoter secured Tyson Fury a lucrative five-fight deal with ESPN and Top Rank after Fury’s first fight with Wilder. Arum is essentially responsible for making Fury the well-known name he is today in the US, given that four of these five fights have taken place in Las Vegas, with the last fight yet to take place.

The Gypsy King is now the man to beat in heavyweight boxing. Fury is now the only unbeaten heavyweight, who has had all his fights as a heavyweight. Whenever Tyson Fury hangs up his gloves, he can be justifiably proud of his achievements. Knowing how magnanimous Fury is, he will surely also be grateful to all those, who helped him along the way.

Posted on 10/13/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Like many who were watching, Eddie Hearn was glued to his television set.

This past weekend, both Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder staged one of the most epic heavyweight battles in recent memory. The two clashed at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and were bombs away from the opening bell. With each man scoring numerous knockdowns, Hearn was on the edge of his seat.

By the time the dust cleared, it was Fury who was the last man standing, scoring an 11th round stoppage win. Despite Wilder picking up his second straight knockout defeat at the hands of Fury, Hearn couldn’t help but tip his cap to the hard-hitting former titlist.

“I think his credibility has gone through the roof,” said Hearn during an interview with IFL TV. “Although he looked like his tank was empty after two rounds, he stuck in there. He could not even stand up and he kept going. I give him credit, fair play.”

Wilder, 35, may have seen his bid to become a two-time heavyweight champion come to an end, but the Alabama native is far from done. According to head trainer Malik Scott, Wilder is already planning a return to the ring, but not before a long rest.

As for what could be next for the Olympic Bronze medalist, there’s a long list of highly-ranked contenders that Hearn believes could make for intriguing showdowns. Amongst them, are the likes of Dillian Whyte, newly crowned heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, and long-time rival Anthony Joshua.

Matchups against any of those previously mentioned names, however, would see Wilder as a prohibited underdog. At least, in the opinion of Hearn. While he respects Wilder and the ridiculous knockout power he brings to the table, Hearn is steadfast in his belief that unless Wilder lands his money punch, he’ll not only lose to Whyte, Usyk, and Joshua but he’ll do so quite easily.

“Whyte would do exactly the same to Wilder that Fury did, in terms of being too big and too strong but could also get KO’d. AJ, too sharp, too good a technician but could also get KO’d. Usyk would school Wilder, but could also get KO’d.”

Posted on 10/12/2021

By: Hans Themistode

There was an overwhelming self-confidence within the camp of Deontay Wilder. The former WBC heavyweight titlist and new head trainer Malik Scott were fully convinced that the title reign of Tyson Fury was coming to an abrupt and violent end.

The two would square off for the third time in their respective careers this past Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Things started off fairly strong for Wilder in the opening round. The heavy-hitting Alabama native landed several jabs to the body and repeatedly found a home for his favorite weapon, the right hand. Wilder’s momentum, however, was short-lived as Fury dropped him in the third round.

Unwilling to allow Fury to have an easy night at the office, Wilder turned the tables in the following round, scoring two knockdowns in the period. The pair would go on to trade hard blows throughout the duration of their showdown. Amid their nip and tuck battle, Wilder appeared to be visibly gassed. Fury, on the other hand, took full advantage, dropping Wilder in the tenth and once more in the 11th. The latter represented the fight-ending blow.

As Wilder was taken to his corner to seek medical attention, the Alabama native appeared to be despondent with the way things played out. While the former heavyweight titlist is ultimately disappointed, Scott won’t allow him to sulk over his recent defeat.

“We lost to one of the greatest heavyweights of all time from any era – Tyson Fury,” said Scott to IFL TV. “Is there really shame in that? I wouldn’t even allow Deontay to put his head down.

Wilder, 35, vowed to strip Fury of his WBC title in explosive fashion. In the fourth round, he appeared to be on his way to doing just that. After landing a flush right hand in the final minute of the round, Fury hit the deck. The British native peeled himself up off the canvas but would reconvene with the matt just a few seconds later.

From about the sixth round on though, Wilder appeared to be fighting on a completely empty gas tank. The hard-hitting former champion huffed and puffed as he struggled with the pace of Fury. Still, Wilder refused to give up. Even after Fury ended their showdown with a right hand to the temple that saw Wilder crash down to the canvas, he rose to his feet just a few seconds later, although referee Russell Mora had already waved off their contest.

Considering the grit, determination, and audacious demeanor of Wilder throughout, Scott is proud of what he was able to accomplish.

“I’d never allow him to feel down about giving his all like that.”

Posted on 10/10/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Leading up to his third, and presumably, final showdown against Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury warned his long-time rival that he would receive a beating like no other.

Originally, the two tangoed on February 22nd, 2020 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. At the time, Wilder was viewed as almost an indomitable force. Having stopped all but one of his opponents, Tyson Fury in their first encounter in 2018, Wilder walked into their second contest as a considerable favorite.

Despite the public backing of oddsmakers, Fury ignored the naysayers and went on to hand Wilder a one-sided stoppage defeat, the first of his career. With the two squaring off once more, this time at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Fury predicted a more brutal beating.

Although Wilder had plenty of strong moments, one of which includes two knockdowns in the fourth round, Fury ultimately dusted himself off and pounded Wilder throughout. After a nip and tuck first half, Fury dominated down the stretch. With Wilder completely gassed during the championship rounds, Fury uncorked the fight-ending shot in the 11th round.

Before Wilder’s body hit the canvas, referee Russell Mora waved off their contest. An extremely jubilant Fury immediately jumped onto the top ropes and screamed to the jam-packed Las Vegas crowd in excitement.

Given the opportunity to reflect on how things ended, Fury believes the blows he landed on Wilder could force him to step away from the ring for good.

“He was getting tired and fatigued,” said Fury following his victory. “I hit him solid with a crunching right hook right upside the temple. Shots like that end careers.”

Promptly following the win, Fury leaned across the ropes and began saying a prayer. Once it concluded, Fury walked over to the corner of Wilder and attempted to shake his hand. In spite of Fury’s sportsmanlike gesture, Wilder was uninterested in letting bygones be bygones.

Although Fury was hoping that the pair could bury the hatchet and move on, he’s accepted that Wilder’s disdain for him may continue to linger for much longer. Regardless of the post-fight snub, Fury has wished Wilder a speedy recovery.

“I just hope that he’s okay, he took a lot of punishment.”

Posted on 10/10/2021

By: Hans Themistode

There was a look of determination in the eyes of Deontay Wilder. With the sting of a one-sided defeat hanging over his head for roughly a year and a half, Wilder took his frustrations and began diligently working on his skills.

With so much time to gel with new head trainer Malik Scott, Wilder’s confidence was through the roof as he stepped through the ropes to face Fury once more. For the Alabama native, not only did he want his WBC title handed back to him, but he wanted to wrap it around his waist while Fury’s blood was plastered all over it.

As the two stood toe to toe at the T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada, last night, Wilder appeared to be on the verge of having his wish granted. The pugnacious heavy hitter peeled himself up off the deck in round three to drop Fury twice in the following round. To Fury’s credit, however, he staggered to his feet and ultimately went on to register the stoppage win in the 11th round.

For Wilder, reality has slowly set in. The 35-year-old former titlist has always been dubious to the notion that Fury beat him on a fair playing field. In addition to that, Wilder was convinced that if he came into their trilogy in peak form, then Fury would have essentially no chance.

Now, however, Wilder is slowly coming to grips with what took place last night.

“I did my best,” said Wilder. “But it wasn’t good enough. I’m not sure what happened.”

Before both Wilder and Fury swapped fists in front of a jam-packed Las Vegas, crowd, Wilder wowed the boxing world with his new physique. Having packed on considerable more muscle for the third installment of their showdown, Wilder was convinced that the extra girth was needed in order to stand and bang with the much larger Fury.

But, even as Wilder tipped the scales at 238 pounds, he was still outweighed by approximately 40 pounds as Fury came in at a career-high 277 pounds.

All along, Wilder believed he knew that Fury’s game plan was to use his size to wear him down. In the end, no matter how much weight Wilder added to his normally slender frame and regardless of showing the ability to bench press well over 300 pounds, Wilder concedes that Fury’s game plan ultimately worked.

“I know that in training he did certain things, and I also knew that he didn’t come in at 277 to be a ballet dancer. He came to lean on me, try to rough me up and he succeeded.”

Posted on 10/09/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Deontay Wilder simply won’t move off his stance that he was cheated during his second showdown against Tyson Fury on February 22nd, 2020.

When looking back at the tape, Wilder couldn’t believe what he was watching. At various times during their contest, Fury’s gloves appeared to bend unnaturally. Not only did Wilder point to the unusual formation of Fury’s gloves but the one-time WBC heavyweight titlist also stated on numerous occasions that it felt as though Fury’s gloves were loaded with a hard egg-like substance.

As the Alabama native waits patiently for revenge, he’s been alerted to something abnormal with the gloves of Fury yet again. Although the two are scheduled to face off later on tonight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wilder isn’t going to summarily sweep this latest incident under the rug.

“We had a little situation with the gloves,” said Wilder to 78SportsTV. “I already got word of some funny stuff going on in the back of the gloves.”

Wilder, 35, proceeded to not only voice his displeasure with the gloves Fury selected but he also went as far as to present the commission with evidence to further back his claim.

“When I got into the room I immediately asked about the gloves. I was telling them [the commission officials] about certain things that happened in the first event with his gloves being funny, how they were bending and folding, even showing certain clips of it. They said they’ve been around boxing 25, 30 years, everybody feels since they’ve been around it they are some type of expert. But if you haven’t put a glove on and hit someone in the face to understand what type of damage it could do, or how mechanically a glove can work, it’s 25, 30 years down the toilet.”

Footage that was captured by team Wilder depicts the gloves that Fury has chosen to wear later on tonight. The gloves in question, are the same exact kind Fury chose for their second meeting last year.

In accordance with the rules before every boxing match, gloves are thoroughly inspected by the commission. That would include cutting open said gloves and checking the padding. However, as team Wilder took a close look at the gloves themselves, they noticed that there was little to no padding.

Initially, team Wilder was apoplectic with Fury’s selection. Nevertheless, once they were given the green light, Wilder has ultimately bit his tongue concerning the matter.

“You can cut open a glove all day and look inside and still not know what’s going on,” continued Wilder. “What happened was Fury’s glove that he chose, which is the same thing he had last time, had little to no padding. The rest of it was horsehair, we thought horsehair was illegal and out of the question.

“They opened up my glove and my glove padding is at least two to three inches thick. His glove looks like they’ve already been used, already folded, bended, like they’ve been thrown in the trash and got back out and say, ‘we’re gonna reuse these’.”

Contrary to Wilder’s belief, horsehair gloves are in fact, not illegal and are fully permitted. But while Fury isn’t bending the rules, Wilder continued to voice his displeasure with what’s taking place.

“My argument was that this is not enough padding in these gloves. They were trying to convince me the horsehair in the gloves makes up for everything because the horsehair is actually harder than the foam. I was telling them they were wrong because the thing about the horsehair is that over time the horsehair can spread. If it spreads, the horsehair gets thinner, that way you only feel that small padding that’s under the horsehair but they said it was okay, so we said cool.”

With Wilder’s words giving him no help in the matter, he’s decided to take things into his own hands. In an effort to level the playing field, Wilder has now opted to swap out his own gloves.

“I’m very happy with what’s going on with the gloves. Since they wanna have little to no padding, we’re going to have the same. May the best man win.”

Posted on 10/09/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Antonio Tarver couldn’t help but notice the appearance of Deontay Wilder on the scales. The former heavyweight titlist has routinely weighed in at just over 200 pounds throughout his career. Despite fighting men who were considerably bigger than he was, the slender frame of Wilder never affected his ability to stop his opposition.

Wilder’s penchant for coming in lighter than normal though, proved to be his detriment early last year. On February 22nd, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wilder came in heavier than usual, stepping onto the scales at 231 pounds. Despite the added weight, Wilder was outweighed by Tyson Fury by over 40 pounds. That in turn, allowed Fury to bully the Alabama native all across the ring.

As the two prepare to do it all over again, this time at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wilder looks noticeably bigger. With Fury packing on even more pounds this time around, Wilder has come in at 238 pounds, most of which appear to be solid muscle.

Although both Wilder and head trainer Malik Scott believe his new physique will aid him in dealing with Fury’s gargantuan frame, former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver isn’t so convinced.

“Wilder added on some muscle,” said Tarver during an interview with FightHype.com. “A significant amount of weight. I guess he felt, he was a little bit too small. Now, is he going to use this weight and muscle to his advantage? A lot of times, when you bulk up, it slows you down a little bit. That quick-twitch muscle slows down a lot. I think Wilder is going to need to be fast and quick. A lot more faster than he was in the rematch. If that muscle don’t slow him down, he could use it to his advantage.”

On numerous occasions, Wilder has released video of himself lifting well over 300 pounds on the bench press. The reasoning behind Wilder’s new look is simple, he won’t allow Fury to zap his legs when he leans and holds onto him.

Even with Wilder looking leaner and bigger than before, he still walks into his trilogy against Fury at a decided weight disadvantage.

After Wilder showed the boxing world what he’s been working on over the past year and a half, Fury stepped onto the scales heavier than ever. In total, the WBC heavyweight titlist came in at 277 pounds. Considering that Fury has never come in heavier, there’s a growing belief that his preparation for Wilder wasn’t optimal.

Those sentiments, however, is something that Tarver has openly shrugged off. In no way, shape, or form does he expect the extra pounds to diminish Fury’s performance later on tonight.

“The guy is heavy anyways. Anything under 300 pounds, he’s still effective. You saw that in the last fight.”