Tag Archives: Deontay Wilder

Posted on 10/09/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Deontay Wilder could be described as loquacious, jittery, and pugnacious when it’s time to fight. But, with his third installment against Tyson Fury taking place in just a few short hours at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Alabama native has seemingly changed.

The two originally squared off for the second time in their respective careers on February 22nd, 2020. During the lead-up to their bout, and every single contest Wilder has had during the course of his career, the hard-hitting former heavyweight titlist told all who would listen that he would find a way to end their showdown early.

This time around, however, with the sting of his first defeat via seventh round stoppage, he’s decided to take a different approach. At times, Wilder has refused to address the media or even Fury himself. Instead, he oftentimes wore headphones and blocked out the noise. Wilder’s now stoic demeanor has become a part of his persona.

With an entirely new perspective on how he should approach his showdown against Fury, Wilder has found that less is more.

“Calmness is the key to the storm,” said Wilder. “I know when I’m not calm, my mind is cloudy. When your mind is cloudy, it allows you to make bad decisions. When you’re calm, you can weather the storm, when you’re calm, you’re able to see certain things and make great decisions. I’m looking to be calm this fight.”

Fury, 33, has laughed at Wilder’s new insight. With the British native registering a one-sided stoppage win in his previous contest against Wilder, he believes that if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.

Still, despite Wilder heading into their showdown with a clear and level head, oddsmakers simply aren’t buying it. Currently, Fury is pegged as a sizable favorite. The betting public, as well as naysayers who are standing against him, seem to have no effect on Wilder and his mental preparation.

For the past several months, new head trainer Malik Scott has stripped Wilder down to the bare meat and bones and worked on sharpening his fundamentals. That, in turn, has led Wilder to believe that he’ll repay the favor to Fury later on tonight with a knockout victory of his own.

“Redemption is upon us.”

Posted on 10/08/2021

By: Kirk Jackson

This weekend, Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KO’s) faces “The Gypsy King” Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21 KO’s), in what looks to be the final heavyweight contest between the two, for the WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles.

Although, more is at stake than just world titles.

“I don’t have anything to prove. I’m in a great place and in a great state of mind. I have a lot of great people around me. This fight is about redemption, retaliation, and retribution.”

“Many people thought I was down and out, but it wouldn’t be fair to the people around me to feel that way. My dedication has been focused every day. My energy is like my mind, it’s very violent. I’m just ready to go October 9. I’ve dedicated myself and devoted my time and my body, me and my team, to reinventing myself. I’m ready to reintroduce myself to the world.” 

– Deontay Wilder

This time you won’t get up https://t.co/sPlN7HUTv8 pic.twitter.com/vpIKTXjz3W

— Deontay Wilder (@BronzeBomber) October 2, 2021

Billed as Once and For All, this event, alleges to be the final chapter between the parties. 

“Wilder is a weak person mentally and I’m going to knock him out on Saturday night. I obliterated him in the rematch and I see much more of the same in the third fight.” 

“I’m the last man standing between me, Deontay and Anthony Joshua. I’m the last one undefeated. I’m the two-time heavyweight champion and I’ve never lost a fight. That’s history. He’s in denial and he’s getting knocked out. His legacy is in bits. I knocked him out and now I’m going to retire him.”

– Tyson Fury

The Champ is here! #furywilder3 @BronzeBomber ‘you’ve been beat, you’ve been humiliated and you’ve been busted! End of. And that’s it. There’s NOONE here that can accept the fact that this P*ssy got his ass handed to him NOT once, NOT twice and he can’t do NOTHING about it!’ pic.twitter.com/9QpgDGNw1h

— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) October 7, 2021

This trilogy is quite unique, with the various aspects attached to the storylines surrounding each participant. Whether it’s the trainer, the fighter, promoter, or reporters involved.

With the event that is the fight, there are elements of international pageantry, genuine levels of dislike between the two combatants, along with a mixture of other factors, that make for an exciting weekend and potentially historic occurrence. 

One of the biggest questions looming over this encounter, is what has changed from the second bout to this upcoming engagement?

What kind of changes will we see from Fury and perhaps more importantly, what kind of changes will we see from Wilder? 

Wilder is slightly older and widely considered by most boxing pundits, to be at a technical disadvantage. 

But his technical deficiencies, as many like to claim, especially those of the Fury fanbase, are exaggerated. Fury’s fanbase is mentioned because they do him a disservice by minimizing the skillset and accomplishments of his most noteworthy adversary. 

Something to keep in mind, for fans and reporters alike, the more they diminish the skills and greatness of Wilder, the more it takes away from Fury’s accomplishments. 

For those standing firm behind the assessment of Wilder cannot fight and is unskilled, this is the very same fighter, who dropped Fury twice during their first encounter. This fighter is an Olympic medalist and earned the praise of legendary trainer Emanuel Steward, uncle of Fury’s current trainer, SugarHillSteward.

Fury’s victory over Wilder is his most celebrated to date and launched him into cross-over, star status. In essence, Wilder helped resurrect Fury’s career. 

Fury’s own father oftentimes, expressed concern for his son’s well-being while facing Wilder; due to the dangers of that vaunted right hand from The Bronze Bomber.

“Tyson Fury is very conscious of Deontay’s abilities. We’re just concentrating on being sharp and being focused. There’s always more to learn in boxing and Tyson is learning and having fun with it.” 

“It’s exciting to be here. I believe in what the Wilder camp has been working on. I’ve looked at the clips. It gets me motivated to keep working with Tyson. We’re expecting nothing less than a knockout.”

– Head trainer of Tyson Fury, SugarHill Steward 

Wilder’s path to retribution, is configuring the stylistic puzzle of Tyson Fury, implementing the proper game plan, and administering enough punishment to secure victory. 

The question is, how do you overcome an opponent, physically bigger, taller, longer, with tremendous skill and boxing ability? How do you contend with a fighter, who is also willing to get physical, tenacious, and will use any means to ensure he wins?

Keys to Victory for Deontay Wilder:

o The path to victory for Wilder, maybe through the belly of the beast. Easier stated than achieved, but one of the main staples for success will be beating Fury’s body like a drum.

o Move away from the clench and keep head level with Fury’s.

o Stay off the ropes, which prevents the Fury from man repeated grappling.

o Throw with a higher frequency, aim to punch more in combination to keep Fury guessing.

o Establish the jab early, to establish range. Must be consistent with the jab.

o Practice patient hostility. Provide the constant threat of attack, without over-exposing your defense and avoid being comprised for a counter-punch, or clinch.

“I’m a student of the game. Deontay, in my opinion, ruled the heavyweight division just using one or two weapons. Being in training with him, I used to always say that a lot of his skills weren’t being used. He got content knocking people out with one weapon.”

“I went into Deontay’s toolbox and pulled everything out that he did well. I wanted to make sure that we drilled it over and over again. I didn’t teach him anything new. Deontay Wilder can do it all, I just pulled some of those things out of him.”  

“When it comes to working on Deontay’s fundamentals, he has good fundamentals, he just didn’t always use them. I’m just reminding him about tools that he wasn’t using.”

– Head trainer of Deontay Wilder, Malik Scott

Keys to Victory for Tyson Fury:

o Be alert and active. Cannot afford to be too relaxed or take Wilder lightly.

o Counter Wilder’s jab. 

o Make Wilder reset, back Wilder up. Fury would benefit from pressing Wilder at certain points, utilizing his footwork and size to push Wilder against the ropes, negating his punching power.

o Invest in attacking Wilder’s body, to drain the energy and power.

o Grapple, hold, fight dirty like the previous encounter.

o Adaptability is the greatest asset. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it, but it’s imperative to adapt, change strategy, and implement tactics when prompted.

Not settling for ordinary and chasing greatness, both fighters operate on the same beat.

If the Bronze Bomber is to reclaim his crown, he must overcome all odds. He is the underdog, he has been left for dead, many fans, analysts/reporters, boxing legends of the sport, do not speak favorably of him, so he will not be the beneficiary of preferential treatment or support. 

It’s not quite as particular, but he draws parallels to Jack Johnson.

Fury displayed multiple times throughout his career he is willing to do whatever it takes to win. Whether it’s against Christian Hammer, Otto Wallin, Steve Cunningham, Wladimir Klitschko, Wilder himself, Fury will do whatever he can, to win. It’s second nature to him.

When that kind of person is your opponent, at the very least, you must match that energy and will, if not surpass it. Eye for an eye. 

As it’s well documented, Fury, who handed Wilder his first professional defeat, overcame his own adversities and is living his redemption story. Fury wants to maintain his spot as the king of the hill. That current path does not include any pit stops.

If Wilder wants to re-create his redemption story, forge his path to becoming the greatest of all time, or the best of his era, he must go through Fury. Generally speaking, excuses may be valid, but greatness does not settle and accept excuses. 

Their first encounter featured the narrative of Fury and his comeback. The sequel continued that story arch and highlighted Fury’s pinnacle achievement. 

The third fight may feature redemption in a different form. Wilder, aims to pose as the Phoenix rising from the ashes. That is the American dream right, or the storybook ending for Wilder. Or perhaps Fury will prove storybook endings across this platform, in this reality, do not exist.

Posted on 10/08/2021

By: Hans Themistode

All that was needed to be said had already taken place. All that was left, was one more ceremonial weigh-in.

As Deontay Wilder stepped onto the scales for his heavyweight showdown against Tyson Fury, the former WBC belt holder packed noticeably more weight and muscle this time around. The Alabama native came in at 238 pounds, a career-high and seven pounds heavier than their previous contest.

As for Fury, the self-proclaimed Gypsy King has always been the much bigger man. Although he tipped the scales for their second showdown weighing 273 pounds on February 22th, 2020, Fury opted to come in even heavier, officially weighing in at 277 pounds, one of the highest of his career.

Wilder’s insistence to add more girth to his normally slender body, stems from how their second showdown played out. With Fury holding approximately a 40-pound weight advantage, Wilder was bullied throughout their contest. Now, with Wilder claiming that he’s not only worked on his overall skills but his physicality as well, benching well over 300 pounds, he believes that he’s much more equipped to deal with a much larger man.

In spite of Wilder packing on the muscle, Fury is unbelievably confident that Wilder is in for a long and painful night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“I’m going to annihilate him,” said Fury following the weigh-ins. “He’s going to be unrecognizable.”

Posted on 10/06/2021

By: John “Gutterdandy” Walker

WBC World Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury of the UK has hit back at the consistent circulating rumors regarding his readiness to defend the belt against the man he took it from, Deontay Wilder of the USA, this coming Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) has been dogged by gossip — that has only grown louder as the fight approaches — to the effect that he has not prepared properly for his first-ever title defense. The final fight of a trilogy with Wilder comes after Covid-19 delays and the scrapping of a proposed “megafight” with now former unified champ Anthony Joshua that was close to becoming reality.

Among those spreading these rumors has notably been Matchroom Boxing head honcho Eddie Hearn, who said in a recent interview that, “I just don’t think [Fury[ is in the kind of condition he was for the second fight” with Wilder.

“He had the first fight fall through with COVID and he’s been flying backwards and forwards. I just don’t think he’s had the ideal preparation at all,” Hearn continued.

While Hearn said he thought Fury would win the third meeting between the two men, he also stoked doubts by saying that this supposed lack of preparation on Fury’s part would mean that the powerful 

American might take advantage of a lapse of concentration on the part of his British opponent. 

“Is [Fury] ready to beat Deontay Wilder?” Hearn asked rhetorically.

“Probably,” Hearn continued, “but the problem is, when you fight Wilder, as Luis Ortiz found out, you can just win every single round, and if you switch off for a nanosecond, the fight is over. So that’s the only reason this fight is intriguing.” 

Likewise, former British cruiserweight and heavyweight champion David Haye has also been stoking the “Fury’s not ready” rumor mill, telling talkSPORT that, “I’ve seen Tyson Fury not preparing as he did the second time ’round [against Wilder].”

“Maybe there’s some overconfidence going into this fight.” Haye–who is himself angling for a comeback fight against Fury–excitedly continued. “Maybe he’s so supremely confident from the second fight that [Fury] believes he’s going to roll into this third fight and it’s going to be a home run straight away.”

Fury has now hit back at the rumors swirling around him, from Hearn, Haye, and others, attributing the gossip to his intentional lack of a social media presence as he prepared for the upcoming fight with Wilder.

The rumors, Fury recently told Steve Bunce of BT Sport, “are because I’ve been off social media for so long.”

Noting that, in order to focus, he had banned those in his camp from posting footage of his training camp on various websites, Fury explained that “when you’re not on social media, all of a sudden you’ve gone on a mad bender! Because, the world is controlled by social media, or so it seems.”

As for the culprits responsible for spreading such blasphemous rumors about him, Fury was direct.

“It’s mainly my rivals whose talk this is,” a bemused Fury told Bunce.

“Now I seen Eddie Hearn said I’m not ready and I’m not focused, but, wouldn’t you think he’d shut up now that his man [Anthony Joshua] has been beaten again?”

Hearn, Fury explained, “has no relevance here in Las Vegas, for me, talking about me. Why does it matter to him what I’m doing, I don’t get involved in his business at all. I don’t care what [Hearn and Joshua] do, it’s none of my concern.”

Tyson Fury is, however, ready to get involved in at least one aspect of Hearn’s business. He has offered to train Matchroom heavyweight and former champ Joshua personally–at no cost –with the guarantee that his on-again, off-again opponent A.J. will win a rematch with new unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine.

“If I trained Joshua [for the rematch], he’d definitely beat Oleksandr Usyk,” Fury opined, apparently in earnest.

“And I would be open to doing it. I’ll do it for free because I don’t need the money. I guarantee [Joshua] would beat him!”

No doubt this “generous” offer from the WBC heavyweight champ was also meant as a sly shot at Joshua’s now widely criticized approach for his latest, disastrous outing: a unanimous decision loss against the former unified cruiserweight king Usyk.

Posted on 10/06/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Deontay Wilder is essentially an entirely new fighter. At least, that’s what he appears to be.

For over a decade, the former Olympic bronze medalist was chastised for his lack of boxing ability. Regardless of the primitive skills he displayed, Wilder has always been able to bail himself out of trouble with arguably the biggest right hand in boxing history. However, in his most recent contest against Tyson Fury in February of 2020, Wilder was taken aback when his power failed him on the night.

As a result, Wilder was pummeled throughout their showdown before being subsequently stopped in the seventh round. With Wilder now set to run things back with Fury this coming Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wilder believes he’s better than ever.

“Malik [Scott] has brought the best out of me,” said Wilder to a group of reporters about his new head trainer. “I believe in what we’ve been doing in camp, I believe in my team and the ability that I have. I look forward to displaying my talent and ability in the ring.”

Over the past few months, Scott has stripped Wilder to the bare meat and bones and worked on the basics. In recent video clips, Wilder is shown working on his defensive movement, attacking the body, jabbing, and putting together combinations while slipping out of the way of oncoming traffic.

Having stopped everyone other than Fury, Scott is aiming to ensure that not only will his former heavyweight titlist have the edge in the power department but when it comes down to it, he’ll be able to hold his own as an overall boxer.

Typically, Wilder has gone into his showdowns with a one-track mind. But while he’s still looking to close the show before the final bell, the Alabama native intends to make Fury’s punishment a long and cruel one.

“Everyone knows I have power and my power never diminishes from the first through the 12th. But I want to show a little bit more. I want to beat him up and I’m going to knock him out.”

Posted on 10/05/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Jared “Big Baby” Anderson is going to have to see it to believe it.

For months on end, Wilder has released several short clips of himself pounding away at the mitts with new head trainer Malik Scott. Wilder, who’s known for his skull cracking knockout power, has shown new wrinkles during those workout clips. Not only does he still have arguably the biggest right hand in boxing history, but he seems to have added more sophisticated boxing to his arsenal.

In spite of Scott stating on countless occasions that Wilder is new and improved, Anderson simply isn’t buying it.

“I think Tyson wins again,” said Anderson to FightHype.com.

Fury, 33, made it look incredibly easy against Wilder when the two met for the second time on February 22nd, at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2020. Fury may have been an underdog on the night, but he proved oddsmakers wrong by pounding Wilder in the early portions of their contest, before dramatically stopping him in the seventh round.

With Fury holding well over a 40-pound weight advantage, Anderson is confident that history will repeat itself on October 9th, when the two do it again.

“I think middle, probably five or six rounds,” continued Anderson. “I don’t see it going the distance. Tyson is a big dude and if he got the same weight that he had before, I definitely think he’s stopping him again.”

Sitting front row at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada this coming weekend to witness his prediction, will be Anderson. But first things first, the undefeated heavyweight prospect will have business to attend to.

Opening up the pay-per-view portion of the card will be none other than Anderson as he takes on Vladimir Tereshkin. Although Tereshkin holds an unblemished record through 23 pro fights, he hasn’t fought in nearly two years. Should Anderson do what many are expecting, which is to pick up the quick stoppage win, he’ll nestle into his ringside seat to watch Wilder vs. Fury up close and personal.

Part of Anderson’s reasoning behind picking Fury, stems from the controversy surrounding Wilder following his defeat. As Fury continued to wallop Wilder throughout their showdown last year, Wilder’s now former cornerman, Mark Ireland, threw in the towel.

The moment he did, Wilder was filled with rage and immediately released him from his team. In addition to canning him, Wilder has gone on record stating that he believes Breland not only stopped his contest against Fury prematurely but that he also spiked his drinking water.

Considering what Wilder has said about his former cornerman, Anderson is convinced that the former heavyweight titlist is impetuous. Because of that, and several other factors, the heavyweight prospect doesn’t see Wilder making the necessary adjustments to win.

“No,” answered Anderson when asked if things will be more competitive this around. “Only because I think Deontay Wilder is hard-headed. I think he don’t wanna listen. Just by the way he acted towards his coach when they stopped the last fight. It let me know that he don’t think like oh it was for my benefit. I think he’s hard-headed, I don’t think he’s going to listen to anybody really so I think it’s going to be the same result.”

Posted on 10/05/2021

LOS ANGELES – ESPN and FOX Sports announce broadcaster assignments for Fury vs. Wilder III fight week with three former champions, veteran hosts and Hall of Famers set to call the action from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.  

Highlighting the week, three-time world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis returns with undefeated former two-division world champion and 2004 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward to call ring action with veteran play-by-play announcer Brian Kenny on Saturday, Oct. 9, at 9:00 PM ET.    

Helming the desk will be FOX Sports host Kate Abdo, along with two-time welterweight champion Shawn “Showtime” Porter and well-known ESPN boxing commentator Max Kellerman. Abdo will also host the weigh-in (Friday, October 8, on ESPN2 and FS2 at 5:00 PM ET) and the main event press conference (Wednesday, Oct. 6,on ESPN2 and FS1 at 5:00 PM ET). Joining her for the weigh-in are Porter, Lewis and Ward. Kenny moderates the main event press conference alongside Porter and Lewis. 

FOX PBC reporter Heidi Androl will join ESPN commentator, Bernardo Osuna, to handle reporting duties for fight night. Osuna will also handle fighter interviews during the weigh-in show and serve as interpreter on fight night, while International Boxing Hall of Famer Larry Hazzard returns as the unofficial scorer and rules expert. 

Rounding out the broadcaster lineup for the week is ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr., who will appear at all three events. The Hall of Famer returns after announcing Wilder vs. Fury II. 

Spanish-language coverage for Fury vs. Wilder III includes play-by-play from FOX Deportes’ Adrián García Márquez and four-weight world champion Erik Morales, along with famed ESPN Deportes broadcaster David Faitelson and veteran ESPN Deportes boxing journalist Carlos Nava with analysis. FOX Deportes’ Jaime Motta provides live reporting and interviews ringside.  

Wilder vs. Fury III production will include a unique mixture of innovative camera mounts, super slow motion and high resolution. FOX Sports will add a pair of JitCam cranes on opposite sides of the rings, one with the ability to move up to 100 feet along a track from one side of the venue to the other. A Dynamicam, a mini three-axis cable cam system, functioning as a wired “drone” on the reverse side of the ring, will fly over the audience. A super high-resolution “c360” camera will be used above the ring in the place of a conventional robotic overhead to allow infinite zoom and pan functions to that position. 

Additionally, FOX Sports will have an ultra-slow-motion camera on the reverse side of the ring, sporting a one-of-a-kind high-resolution lens to give a cinematic “Raging Bull” feel to replays.  In addition, there will be several wireless cameras, including FOX Sports’ Megalodon shallow depth-of-field camera, made famous as part of FOX NFL coverage last season. 

Of the 30-plus cameras, all ring coverage will be in super slow mo. On the audio front, FOX Sports will employ more than 50 wired and wireless microphones, including mics on referees and trainers.

Posted on 10/05/2021

By: John “Gutterdandy” Walker

TYSON FURY’S FIRST TITLE DEFENSE

One has to wonder how Britain’s Anthony Joshua getting pummeled by the new unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine and losing all of his belts in a fight that many predicted would be a walkover for A.J., is going to affect the psyche of the current WBC champion Tyson Fury, the British compatriot of Joshua’s who (surprisingly to some) has actually never defended a world heavyweight title belt, despite being a two-time champ.

Fury first held the unified WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring titles after defeating the aging, long-time champ Wladimir Klitschko in 2015. He twice failed to honor signed rematches with the dethroned Ukrainian champion due to a variety of personal problems, including narcotics addiction, alcoholism, and depression, and ended up surrendering the belts due to inactivity, failed drug tests, and failure to fight his mandatory opponents.  

Fury later regained a world title belt in 2020 with his rematch victory over former WBC champion Deontay Wilder of the USA, who he faces again next weekend to complete their heavyweight trilogy.

Joshua’s devastating–and unexpected by most boxing “experts”–loss to Usyk only heaps more pressure on Fury, the man who many deem responsible for the scuppering of a proposed heavyweight mega-fight with “A.J.”–a bout that will now likely never have the same appeal as it would have before Joshua got blitzed and schooled by Usyk.

Joshua, of course, has come back from defeat before, after losing his titles to Mexican-American Andy Ruiz Jr., who dethroned him in June 2019, only to lose in a rematch in December of that year. Ruiz, however, had ballooned up to nearly 300 pounds and refused to train for the rematch. But it would be very foolish to assume that former undisputed cruiserweight champion and Olympic gold medallist Oleksandr Usyk is similarly going to let becoming the unified heavyweight champion of the world go to his head.  

For now, Tyson Fury now has the weight of trying to keep at least one title belt in the UK–which has taken over from Germany, the home of the heavyweight division during the Klitschko brothers’ reign– on his shoulders. Joshua is apparently planning on an immediate rematch and might take a worse beating now that Usyk knows what to expect. Unless A.J. drastically changes his approach (and somehow finds a new chin!), it’s hard to see the result changing next time. Even Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn seems to recognize this. Usyk is just too good.

So the pressure on Fury next weekend will be IMMENSE. Deontay Wilder, love him or hate him, can stop not just Fury, but freeze out the entire UK heavyweight boxing scene, with one punch. And there is no doubt as to Wilder’s punch power.

Anthony Joshua dethroned: A stark warning for Tyson Fury?

TYSON FURY “MINDS HIS OWN BUSINESS” (!!!)

So how will Fury react to his now changed situation?

In a press conference this week, Fury struck an uncharacteristically reserved tone. He had very little to say about the Joshua loss, hilariously stating that he always “minds his own business” (anyone who has heard Fury’s ranting interviews, filled with put-downs of other fighters as “big dossers” and “bums” over the years, should have been roaring in laughter at that line).

Journalists in the presser tried in vain to get Fury to react to Joshua’s humiliation and Wilder’s angry pronouncements about their upcoming fight. Fury wasn’t having it.

It feels as if, having seen what happened to Joshua at the hands of Usyk, Fury is unwilling to further tempt fate. The shock of seeing his British compatriot lose his belts to Usyk has obviously made a deep impression. Fury kept bringing the presser back to the one thing on his mind: the danger the powerful Deontay Wilder poses as a man who only needs one punch to end any fight he’s in. Unlike Joshua, Fury wasn’t looking ahead. Any topic other than the Wilder fight would have to wait for another day.

JOSHUA-USYK POST-MORTEMS 

If the build-up to the Joshua-Usyk bout was unusually quiet, the aftermath of the fight was the exact opposite. Boxing “experts” had already proven that they don’t know anything more than the rest of the world by almost universally writing off Usyk before he had even stepped into the ring. They reacted with a mixture of shock and embarrassment at Usyk’s dominant performance.

Red-faced scribes scrambled in the aftermath of the fight to try to ascertain why their pick had failed so badly. Some even found fault with Joshua’s ring walk, finding his relaxed air as he strode to meet Usyk while fist-bumping with friends and family unbecoming for a heavyweight champ.  Lennox Lewis had his thousand yard-stare, Vitali Klitschko rang “Hell’s Bells,” but AJ lacked the proper seriousness, and wasn’t menacing enough for a heavyweight champion, according to some experts.

Perhaps closer to the mark was Peter Fury, uncle of Tyson and father of another heavyweight contender, Hughie. According to Fury, Joshua had misinterpreted Usyk’s previous bout against Dereck Chisora, where the Ukrainian looked a bit rusty after an injury layoff, and while winning, was at times pressed hard by the veteran British heavyweight (Chisora had also given a prime, pre-injury Robert Helenius a tough time, and even pushed Vitali Klitschko hard in their one meeting).  

Joshua attended the Chisora-Usyk fight and in the aftermath of a tough win by the Ukrainian, indicated that Usyk would be no problem for him. How wrong he was. 

DID JOSHUA BELIEVE HIS OWN PRESS?

In fact, the evidence going into the Usyk vs Joshua bout was that, as he was when he made his debut on American soil and got battered by Andy Ruiz, Joshua was once again looking past an opponent.  

Even a few days before the fight, the boxing headlines read, “ANTHONY JOSHUA: I’LL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO FIGHT TYSON FURY.” The UK press especially was stroking the champ’s ego, and once again he seemed guilty of believing his own hype — the press line that Usyk was a mere obstacle to be brushed aside on his way to the megafight with Tyson Fury that had once been so agonizingly close. 

UK boxing impresario Eddie Hearn, who had just signed Joshua to a lifetime promotional deal, even got in on the act, dismissing Usyk as a blown-up cruiserweight who would never be an authentic player in the heavyweight division!  

From early on in their meeting, when Usyk shocked the champ by knocking him across the ring, A.J. appeared to be shocked, if not fearful.. Usyk wasn’t listening to the press. He wasn’t the guy Joshua had been told by almost everyone to expect. He was, despite his often playful demeanor outside of the ring, what Peter Fury called a very “serious guy” and a brilliant boxing technician.

By the end of last Saturday evening, Joshua would again be an ex-champion.  

He had failed on two of the biggest fight nights of his career: his American debut against Ruiz, and his meeting with the former undisputed cruiserweight king in front of 70,000 people in London.

Posted on 10/05/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Both Tommy Fury and Jake Paul continue to hurl every derogatory word in the dictionary at one another.

After the pair picked up wins on the same card on August 29th, Fury’s coming against Anthony Taylor and Paul’s coming against Tyron Woodley, the two were seen backstage jawing back and forth. In an effort to have Fury put a sock in it, Paul has offered him a one million dollar purse. Although that may appear to be a hefty sum, Fury has turned it down as he seeks a bigger payday from Paul.

If the two are finally able to work out their financial differences, Tyson Fury, the WBC heavyweight champion and half brother of Tommy Fury, will be in attendance to watch them square off. While Tyson fully expects his younger sibling to take care of business against the social media star, if for some reason he comes up short, there’s a good chance he disowns him.

“His name’s Fury,” said Tyson Fury during an interview with Boxing Social. “If he can’t beat Jake Paul, I’ll have to change his name.”

The focus of Tyson Fury’s recent conversation may center around his half brother, but the current heavyweight belt holder has his own business to attend to. In just a few more days on October 9th, in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Fury will put his title on the line against Deontay Wilder in a highly anticipated rematch.

Discussing his upcoming showdown, however, is inconsequential in the mind of Fury as he believes he’ll defeat Wilder faster than the seventh round stoppage victory he registered in 2020. With the majority of the betting public predicting that Tyson Fury will take care of business once more, Tommy Fury doesn’t have that same backing.

According to most, a matchup between Tommy Fury and Jake Paul is much more of a coin flip. Regardless of the outside belief surrounding their possible matchup, Tyson Fury recalls a time where he spoke one on one with his half brother. During those conversations, Tyson recollects his younger sibling sharing his goals and dreams in the sport of boxing. If, however, Tommy can’t defeat someone with only a few years of boxing experience, then Tyson Fury is convinced that everything else his brother is hoping for simply won’t come to fruition.

“If Tommy can’t splatter Jake Paul, I’ll retire him from boxing myself. He’s got ambitions of being a world champion, never mind beating some YouTube guy.”

Posted on 10/04/2021

By: Hans Themistode

This Saturday night on October 9th, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wilder’s long and arduous road will come to an end. The hard-hitting former heavyweight titlist will face off against Tyson Fury for the third time in his career.

After holding his WBC heavyweight title for half a decade, the Alabama native saw his championship reign come to an end on February 22nd, 2020. On the night, Wilder confidently strolled to the ring at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada to take on Fury.

Oddsmakers were left dumbfounded as Fury went on to not only beat Wilder but dismantle him, dropping the former titlist several times over before ultimately stopping him in the seventh round.

The win for Fury not only netted him Wilder’s WBC title but it’s also led to a consensus thought that the British product is the best heavyweight in the world. That notion, however, is laughable to Wilder. Having shared the ring with Fury on two separate occasions, Wilder believes that the perception surrounding Fury is all smoke and mirrors.

“He ain’t that good,” said Wilder to himself during a training session. “He ain’t what people think.”

In the coming months since his defeat, Wilder has released several training videos depicting himself working on his craft with new head trainer Malik Scott. While Wilder has built his name and reputation on his one-punch knockout power, Scott has revealed that they want to take a more methodical approach to their rematch.

On December 1st, 2018, both Wilder and Fury met for the first time in the ring. Although Fury had the clear edge in the boxing department during their showdown, Wilder evened the score by registering two knockdowns on the night. In the end, the pair were forced to settle for a split decision draw.

As previously mentioned, Fury took part two completely out of the hands of the judges. The 33-year-old pounded Wilder from the opening bell and left him with several injuries as a result. Wilder revealed that he not only suffered a busted eardrum but also numerous other ailments as well. All of which has led him to believe that Fury wasn’t playing fair during their second showdown.

“I highly believe you put something hard in your gloves,” said Wilder during a self-recorded video several months ago. “Something the size and the shape of an egg weight, that’s the reason why the side of my face swelled up in an egg weight form. And it left a dent in my face.”

Ultimately, Fury was vindicated of Wilder’s accusations. Despite being absolved of any wrongdoing, Wilder simply isn’t willing to accept that his long-time rival didn’t bend the rules to beat him.

“He a f*cking cheater.”

Posted on 09/24/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Tyson Fury is thoroughly enjoying the position he’s currently in. But more than anything, he believes Deontay Wilder is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

With the two currently set to face off in just a few short weeks on October 9th, the British native is exuding an extreme amount of confidence. In February of 2020, Fury proved to be a fortune teller of sorts. Heading into his showdown against Wilder at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Fury told all who would listen that he would do a number on the hard-hitting Alabama product.

Even as Fury began beating his chest and shouting that he would score the knockout victory, he was essentially alone on an island. If the undefeated gargantuan heavyweight planned on defeating Wilder, it seemed as though it would come via the scorecards. That said, as Fury raised his arms in the air following his seventh-round knockout victory, he bragged about his handiwork.

Now, with their immediate rematch inching closer and closer, Fury fully intends on leaving Wilder motionless on the canvas. If Fury’s words ring true once more, he believes it’ll be the last time Wilder is seen in the ring.

“I’d hate to be Deontay Wilder right now,” said Fury during an interview with The Volume Sports. “When I put that final nail in his coffin, it’s retirement – bye-bye b*tch Wilder.”

While Fury continues to be loquacious, Wilder has been mostly mum on their upcoming showdown. The former WBC heavyweight titlist has placed all of his efforts and energy into working with new head trainer, Malik Scott. The two have been inseparable since partnering late last year. With their newfound relationship, both men are now predicting a quick and easy knockout come fight night.

Wilder’s threats though, have fallen on deaf ears. Having bullied the hard-hitting former belt holder in their previous showdown, Fury isn’t fazed one bit by Wilder’s warnings.

“He used to be a gladiator. He met the old, fat Gypsy King. Knocked him spark out in seven rounds.”

Posted on 09/14/2021

By: Hans Themistode

As some of the biggest names in the sport of boxing continue to face less than stellar opposition, Deontay Wilder begins to shake his head.

The former WBC heavyweight titlist is simply disgusted with the current state of the sport he loves. If it was up to him, the Alabama native would orchestrate a game plan in which the best fighters across all weight classes would step into the ring to face one another regardless of their promotional outfit.

Until the top names in the sport prove their standing in the ring, however, Wilder will continue to heap criticism in their direction.

“You have so many guys coming up with excuses to avoid fighters,” said Wilder during an interview with 78SPORTSTV. “The best not fighting the best.”

Wilder’s frustrations with a sport that he believes is becoming watered down, is reaching its breaking point. At the age of 35, Wilder is much closer to the end of his boxing career than he is the beginning. While he believes he still has plenty to offer, Wilder is well aware of his boxing mortality. In fact, Wilder is not only aware of it, but he’s fully embracing the end of the road. Once he waves goodbye to the pugilistic sport, Wilder is convinced that he won’t yearn to make his return.

“Sometimes I’m just like, I can’t wait for the point in time where I do retire. I don’t think I’m gonna miss it. Once I retire, they’re gonna miss me.”

Before Wilder ultimately decides to remove his gloves for good and walk off into the sunset, the towering 6’7 former titlist has business to attend to. After picking up the first defeat of his career in February of 2020, to Tyson Fury, Wilder will be looking to ensure his long-time rival’s title reign is a transient one.

With just a few more weeks remaining until their October 9th, showdown, Wilder is fully focused on the task at hand.

“Retribution is nearly upon us.”

Posted on 08/31/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Andy Ruiz Jr. has a long road back to the heavyweight title. The Mexican native shocked the world when he dethroned Anthony Joshua in June of 2019 and snagged the WBA, IBF, and WBO world titles. In doing so, Ruiz Jr. made history as he was the first fighter of Mexican descent to become a heavyweight champion.

While Ruiz Jr. enjoyed the extra attention he was given, his time on top of the boxing world proved to be transient as he lost his championship status six months later in an immediate rematch.

After taking roughly a year and a half off to work on his skills and overall fitness with new trainer Eddy Reynoso, head man for pound for pound star Canelo Alvarez, Ruiz Jr. bounced back with a big-time win.

In May earlier this year, Ruiz Jr. picked himself up off the deck to outpoint fringe contender Chris Arreola. Having watched the former unified heavyweight titlist up close and personal on several occasions, Sanchez believes it’s going to be quite some time until he’s ready to challenge for another world title.

“Andy Ruiz was in my camp and he sparred some of my guys,” revealed Sanchez during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “He has got to take advantage of the qualities that he has. He’s not going to be Canelo, he’s gotta be Andy. The guys in my gym, at times, kinda showed him that he has a long way to go. It takes a while, Canelo didn’t become Canelo overnight.”

With a comeback win firmly in his pocket, a long list of fighters are rumored to be in the running to face Ruiz Jr. If the 31-year-old continues to win, then at some point, he could find himself standing across the ring from former WBC heavyweight titlist, Deontay Wilder.

The Alabama native is scheduled to take on Tyson Fury in early October with a chance to regain his world title. Whether he’s successful or not, Sanchez believes that Ruiz Jr. should steer clear of the 35-year-old former belt holder.

“He doesn’t want to face Wilder, he’ll be flat on his back and be hurt. He’ll be sleeping.”

Posted on 08/02/2021

By: Hans Themistode

The boxing world was immediately left deflated when the news broke.

With Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder set to settle the score on July 24th, fans were forced to wait as it was revealed that Fury contracted COVID-19. While many of the WBC/Ring Magazine’s fans wished him a speedy recovery, heavyweight contender Michael Hunter raised a suspicious eyebrow to the entire event.

Having spent plenty of time in training camp with Fury as he prepared for Wilder, Hunter was given an up-close seat to what took place behind the scenes. Although many regard the British native as the best heavyweight in the world, Hunter was left unimpressed with what he witnessed behind closed doors.

“He wasn’t doing too well in the gym,” said Hunter during an interview with FightHype.com.

There’s been an ongoing belief from team Wilder that Fury simply wasn’t ready to face him in the ring. The two originally faced off in February of 2020 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. While many were expecting a close contest, Fury bullied Wilder to the tune of two knockdowns and a subsequent stoppage win in the seventh round.

Since then, Wilder has been hard at work as he looks to regain his world title with new head trainer, Malik Scott. Their contest has officially been rescheduled and is set to take place on October 9th.

Wilder, 35, has unapologetically called out Fury and believes both he and his team are flat out lying about contracting the virus.

“Yo bro Malik Scott, say it ain’t so,” said Wilder on his Instagram account. “Not the COVID-19 lie. They’re going to hell for that one. Oct 9th, can not come any faster.”

Despite Wilder’s claims, Hunter won’t go as far as to say that the British native is lying. However, he is a bit incredulous about the entire turn of events.

“He wasn’t doing too well in the gym but not enough to call the fight off. To me, it was kind of funny because the first day they said somebody on his team got COVID and then the next thing we heard was Tyson got COVID so I thought it was a little fishy.”

Posted on 07/15/2021

By: Hans Themistode

With Tyson Fury being forced to pull out of his third showdown against Deontay Wilder due to the British native contracting COVID-19, both sides have reportedly settled on a new date.

On October 9th, Wilder and Fury will meet for presumably, the final time. Their heavyweight clash is set to take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be presented on a joint Pay-Per-View on ESPN+ and FOX Sports.

After their first clash resulted in a draw in December of 2018, Fury made sure the judges would be obsolete the second time around. Despite being considered the underdog, Fury ran through the Alabama native. He dropped his man several times over before ultimately forcing the corner of Wilder to throw in the towel. In the process, Fury relieved him of his WBC title.

From there, Wilder enacted his mandated rematch clause. However, due to COVID-19 and Wilder recovering from several injuries, their contest faced several hold-ups. In an attempt to bypass Wilder altogether, team Fury began negotiating an undisputed showdown against unified titlist, Anthony Joshua.

But while all systems appeared to be a go, Wilder enlisted the help of arbitrator Daniel Weinstein. The former WBC belt holder would go on to win their arbitration dispute and was granted an immediate rematch. Originally, the two were scheduled to face off on July 24th. But, with Fury reportedly testing positive for COVID-19, their contest was forced to move several months back.

Regardless of his positive results and being made to sit sequestered on the sidelines until he is COVID-19 free, Fury is still displaying an enormous amount of hubris for their third clash.

“I wanted nothing more than to smash the ‘Big Dosser’ on July 24. But I guess the beating will have to wait,” Fury said. “Make no mistake, I will be back and better than ever. We will fight Oct. 9, and I will knock him spark out!”

Agreeing wholeheartedly with Fury’s assessment, is Hall of Fame promoter, Frank Warren. While he could choose to be apoplectic about the entire situation, he has instead decided to look on the bright side.

“I’m glad that we could all agree on a new date quickly for Tyson to defend his title,” said Warren. “Tyson is a fighting man and I know how frustrated he is that he can’t compete this month. It’s such a shame to lose a fight of this magnitude to COVID. That said, the extra time he gets to prepare is just going to ensure he’s bigger and better than ever before – I’ve never been more certain that Tyson is going to deliver a spectacular performance and remain the number one Heavyweight on the planet.”