Tag Archives: rematch

Posted on 03/02/2020

By: Hans Themistode

When Deontay Wilder was left a bloody mess following his February 22nd, rematch against Tyson Fury at the MGM Grand Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada, many believed that their rivalry was over. 

Tyson Fury had in essence taken everything away from Wilder. His undefeated record, his WBC Heavyweight title and his aura of invincibility now all belonged to Fury. 

For the new WBC belt holder, it was a moment that he believed should have come a long time ago. When the two men met for the very first time on December 1st, 2018, Fury was forced to settle for a draw although many believed he had done more than enough to leave that night with the win. The second time around however, Fury left no doubt. 

Although Wilder was left battered and bruised, he was far from broken. Less than 24 hours following his defeat, Wilder’s team informed team Fury that they would invoke the immediate rematch clause for a third fight. 

Now that Wilder has officially chosen to go down the path of a third fight with Fury, the time and date has officially been set in stone. 

The MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 18th, will once again host both big men one more time. News of the official rematch may have surprised several around boxing who believed Wilder should first work his way back up, but promoter Bob Arum was expecting this decision.

“I figured he would do it because I have had enough experience with rematches to know that anything can happen,” said Arum. “Guys can change their strategy and want the opportunity to avenge the loss.”

With the first fight bringing in roughly 300,000 pay-per-view buys, the second almost tippled that number bringing in more than 800,000. The third installment between them could potentially bring in even more eyeballs because of the selected date which is seemingly ideal for everyone involved.

“We realized that date was the favorite of both ESPN and Fox because it comes at a dead time in sports, which is good for the fight,” Arum said. “It’s after the basketball playoffs, baseball is in the middle of the season and there’s no football. It’s the ideal time. The hotel, MGM Grand, also believes it to be an ideal time.”

Since suffering the first loss of his career, Wilder went silent for several days. He did recently put out a statement claiming that his rivalry with Fury is only just getting started. 

“The war has just begun,” said Wilder via his social media account. 

In order for Wilder’s words to come true, he will need to win his third upcoming fight with Fury. With many believing Fury won the first fight and with Wilder stopped in dramatic fashion in the second, if the former WBC titlist loses yet again, then the war will officially be over.

Posted on 02/25/2020

By: Sean Crose

According to several outlets, Deontay Wilder is going to enact a rematch clause that will allow him to face Tyson Fury a 3’d time. Wilder was thoroughly destroyed by Fury Saturday night in what was the second bout between the two men (a 2018 battle ended in a controversial draw). Although many, if not most, expected the hard hitting Wilder to emerge victorious last weekend in Las Vegas, Fury – under the tutelage of Sugar Hill Steward – started aggressive and stayed aggressive throughout the fight, sending his man to the mat several times before co-trainer Mark Breland threw in the towel in the 7th round.

Wilder’s other trainer, Jay Deas, publicly stated that the fight should not have been stopped. Yahoo’s Kevin Iole is now writing that Wilder himself is unhappy with Breland’s act of what many consider mercy. To be sure, Wilder is apparently displeased enough with Breland to possibly remove the former World Champion and Olympian from his team. Whether Wilder will seriously sideline the popular Breland or is merely venting frustration after a bitter loss remains to be seen. One thing that’s certain is that team Wilder appeared to have no plan for the aggressive version of Fury that stepped into the ring on Saturday night. 

Strangely enough, Wilder is pinning at least part of the blame for last weekend’s performance on the enormous, black, Tolkienesque outfit he wore into the ring. Iole writes Wilder is arguing that the sheer weight of the costume hurt his legs. True or not, this assertion has already led to mockery on social media. Wilder, who is known to wear a mask in the ring, apparently claims entering the ring Saturday in such an elaborate outfit was a way of honoring Black History Month. Fury, it should be noted, literally looked as if he were being carried to the ring while he sat on a throne in a king costume.

Although last weekend’s fight had some truly outrageous aspects to it, there is every indication, from the stunning result, to whispers of huge pay per view numbers, that the affair – which was broadcast by both Fox and ESPN – was a huge success. Although many are now wanting Fury to face fellow titlist (and Englishman) Anthony Joshua, a third fight with Wilder would likely be successful, as well. Iole writes that Wilder will travel to Africa before returning to the Unites States to once again train for Fury.  

Posted on 02/23/2020

By: Hans Themistode

There aren’t too many moments that will leave you speechless. 

The birth of your kids, marrying the love of your life and Deontay Wilder falling at the hands Tyson Fury would qualify as those sort of moments. 

When the two larger than life big men stepped into the ring against one another on December 1st, 2018, they gave the fans everything that they wanted to see. The end result however, pleased no one as the contest was ruled a draw. 

To say that the two had unfinished business would be an understatement. So on February 22nd, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, they met once again. The storyline between them was a long, yet simple one. 

Wilder was the power puncher who had knocked out everyone that he had faced inside of the ring. Even Fury tasted the canvas twice, when the two met the first time around. As for the Lineal champion, he was simply viewed as one of the best boxers that the Heavyweight division has ever seen. 

Now that the storylines were set, the only thing that left was for them to meet in the ring once more. 

To the surprise of no one, Fury made his way to the ring on with a crown safely around his head while being carried on a throne. Wilder on the other hand, sauntered his way shortly after wearing an all black metallic like jumpsuit. 

Once the theatrics were gone and the opening bell rang, the fireworks began immediately.

During the build up of their rematch, Fury told every and anyone that would listen that he was going to walk straight towards Wilder and knock him out. Everyone was incredulous to his statement. Come straight ahead against the biggest puncher in boxing history? 

Yeah right. 

Yet, that is exactly what Fury did. He ran right up to Wilder and flicked out his jab and over hand right. Wilder, looked completely clueless. At no point did he actually expect Fury to bring the fight to him, but he did. 

As Fury kept applying the pressure, Wilder found himself backing up towards the ropes more than ever. During the final seconds of the round, he landed the shot that has crumbled everyone else before. 

His right hand. 

Fury simply took the shot, smiled and kept moving forward. 

Something didn’t seem right here. Wilder was never truly able to get off any effective blows but when he did, they barely made a dent in Fury. Maybe the 273 pounds that Fury weighed for this fight was all apart of his master plan. 

Still, it was early in the contest and Wilder had plenty of time. But then, the unthinkable happened. Fury dropped Wilder. Badly.

As Wilder rose to his feet in the third round, his left ear was bleeding profusely. 

At the exact same time, the crowd at the MGM Arena said the same thing. 

Damn. 

It was unbelievable. Fury caught Wilder with shot after shot. In the fifth round Wilder was dropped yet again. At this point, things were looking bleak for Wilder. 

With everything pointing in the direction of a Fury win, there was still some belief that Wilder could get back into the contest if he could just simply land his right hand. 

He did. But it meant nothing. 

Fury just could not and would not be deterred on the night. With all the momentum behind him and with Wilder taking a one sided beating while falling all over himself in the middle of the ring, Fury cornered his man and dished out even more punishment. 

At this point, enough was enough. The corner of Wilder threw the towel into the ring to signal for the contest to be put to an end. 

Yes. Fury forced a corner stoppage in the seventh round. 

At no point did Wilder look as though he was going to come back and win that bout. It was time for them to go back to the drawing board and live to see another day.

Initially pissed at the stoppage, Wilder was irate. His reign as champion was over. Still, once the former WBC belt holder regained his senses he gave full credit to Fury but he did wish that it ended in another way. 

“Things like this happen. The best man won,” said Wilder. “My coach threw in the towel and I was ready to go out on my shield. I make no excuses tonight. I just wish that my corner would’ve let me go out on my shield. I’m a warrior.”

The respect between them has always been there. And with Wilder giving Fury his full credit, the new WBC champion made sure to do the same. 

“I just want to say a big shout out to Deontay Wilder. He came here tonight, he manned up and he showed the heart of a champion. He is a warrior, he will be back and he will be a champion again.”

After the sentimental moment between them was over, Fury had one more message, seemingly for everyone. 

“The king has returned.”

Posted on 12/27/2019

By: Sean Crose

Just over a year after they engaged in their memorable, highly publicized battle, it’s been officially announced that Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury are set to meet in the ring again. “The long-awaited rematch of heavyweight titans is set,” Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions declared Friday, “as undefeated WBC champion Deontay ‘The Bronze Bomber’ Wilder and unbeaten lineal champion Tyson ‘The Gypsy King’ Fury will continue their rivalry in the ring on Saturday, February 22 live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in a historic, joint FOX Sports PPV & ESPN+ PPV.”

The first time Wilder and Fury met, the two giant sized fighters made sure it was a match the world would remember. Seemingly down on points, Alabama’s Wilder sent England’s Fury to the mat with a thunderous shot in the twelfth and final round. That in and of itself made the evening memorable. The fact Fury was able to rise to his feet before the 10 count before finishing the round in high fashion burned the bout into the boxing world’s collective memory. That was on December 1st of last year. Both combatants declared a rematch was in order – and now that rematch is in writing. 

“I’m happy ,” says Wilder, “and I’m excited that the rematch is finally happening. “I want to give the fans what they want to see. I’ve been doing it with my last three outings – Fury, Breazeale and Ortiz. They’ve been spectacular events – from my ring walks where I gather all the energy of the people, to my uniforms that I wear to help spread that energy. Then I give them what they all come for – the knockouts, and my knockouts have been amazing. I proved myself the first time and I’m ready to do it again. It was a very controversial fight. I promise my fans that there won’t be any controversy with this one. I’m going to finish it.

”Fury, who – like Wilder – is a world class showman, is exuding excitement. “There’s no more ducking and diving,” said Fury. “The date has been set, and the ‘Bomb Squad’ is about to be securely detonated and the real champion crowned as the world watches on for the most anticipated fight in years. This is unfinished business for me, but come February 22, this dosser will finally get what’s coming to him, and I can’t wait!”

Not only are Wilder, 42-0-1, and Fury, 29-0-1, both undefeated, they represent the upper echelon of a red hot heavyweight division, one that hasn’t seen this kind of excitement and intrigue since the 1990s. Aside from the February 22^nd rematch, there’s the presence of Anthony Joshua lurking nearby. The Londoner recently regained his IBF, WBA, and WBO heavyweight titles from Andy Ruiz after being stunned by the Mexican-American back in June at Madison Square Garden. Now each major fight at heavyweight may lead down the road to a single heavyweight king, something the world hasn’t seen since the era of the iconic Lennox Lewis. 

Tickets to see Wilder-Fury 2 live at the MGM Grand in Vegas will go on sale Saturday, December 28^th at ten in the morning, Pacific Time. They can be bout at www.mgmgrand.comor www.axs.com.

Posted on 11/27/2019

By: Sean Crose

It looks like the like the long awaited rematch between heavyweight powerhouses Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury is set to go down on February 22nd of next year. Although no location has been announced, ESPN has reported that the fight itself, as well as the date, is indeed a go. This should come as no surprise, as both Wilder and Fury have been quite open about the fact that they fully plan to face each other again. There are also whispers online that the bout might be hyped around the festivities surrounding February 2nd’s Super Bowl game.

Wilder, an undefeated 42-0-1 power puncher, is being hailed by some as the greatest knockout artist in the history of boxing. Though this assertion is far from universal, it’s clear that the sheer impact and immediate aftermath of the Alabama native’s shots have already become legendary. As for Fury, the man is the antithesis of the heavyweight division’s previous era, which was dominated by the staid and gentlemanly Wladimir Klitshcko. Loud, humorous, and eccentric, Fury struts about the media landscape like a true showman. Undefeated, like Wilder, the 29-0-1 Englishman is surprisingly slick and skilled for his enormous, six foot, nine inch frame.

The first fight between the two men went down last December, and ended up being a classic solely for what transpired in the final round. By most accounts, Fury was winning the fight through the employment of his slippery defensive skill set. Heading into round twelve, he appeared on the way to victory despite the fact that Wilder had dropped him earlier. Then the moment came when a somewhat boring fight suddenly turned into an iconic one. Wilder hit Fury so hard that the European giant ended up flat on his back with his eyes open. If that weren’t enough, Fury actually managed to get up and fight well throughout the rest of the round. The battle was ruled a draw, and the world knew almost instantly that a second act would be on its way.

Since that fight nearly a year go, each man has gone to other victories, while informing fans all the while that he would indeed be facing off against his most famous rival again. Fury demolished Tom Schwarz in June, then got a run for his money in his victory over Otto Wallin in September. Fury has also engaged in an entertaining WWE battle with fellow giant Braun Strowman, and has said he plans to engage in mixed martial arts.

For his own part, Wilder has continued along his path of highlight reel victories. After frighteningly disposing of Dominic Breazeale last May, the defending WBC champ had a rematch with Luis Ortiz last weekend. The Cuban gave Wilder a scare in their first fight, and was dominating the second – until, as is now almost expected – Wilder abruptly closed the show with a shot straight out of a Rocky movie. All of this led to a discussion throughout the fight world focused on the fact that Wilder ALWAYS seems a find a way to let his power get him out of trouble. Both Fury and Ortiz have out-skilled the man, only to have things turn in the blink of an eye. It’s now happened to Ortiz twice against Wilder.

The question now is: How will Fury find a way to keep the impact and results of Wilder’s power from being the story of their rematch?

Posted on 11/25/2019

By Hans Themisode

First they love you, then they quickly forget about you.

In just a few months time, former unified Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has become a forgotten man.

Just before he stepped into the ring with Andy Ruiz Jr on June 1st, at Madison Square Garden, Joshua was viewed as the best Heavyweight on the planet. He had the best resume and credentials to back it up as well.

Joshua only turned pro in 2013, but he was quickly running through the division. In a timespan of four years, Joshua knocked out long reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko, Dillian Whyte, Dominic Breazeale and Charles Martin. In short, he was the man to beat in the division.

Wins over Joseph Parker, Alexander Povetkin and Carlos Takam only strengthened this claim.

There was only one issue with what Joshua was doing. Every single one of his wins were taking place in the United Kingdom. Sure they were impressive, but who really cares? He was a virtual unknown in America and seemed hesitant to make the trek over here.

Everything changed when Joshua decided it was time to head over to America. The previously mentioned thought of Joshua not being a star in America weren’t exactly true as fans came in droves to see him take on little known Andy Ruiz Jr.

By now you have heard of it. The upset that literally shock the entire sports world. Ruiz would go on to climb off the deck in the third round to drop Joshua twice in the same round. He would repeat the same process again in the seventh en route to a stoppage win.

Before the contest, Ruiz was viewed as just a stepping stone. Joshua would receive minimal credit at best for defeating him. Now that Ruiz has pulled off the upset in their encounter, Joshua wants a whole new level of respect when he defeats him in their rematch will take place on December 7th, in Saudi Arabia.

“I’m fighting the best man in the world now. I’m going to whup him. I’ll show how great I am,” said Joshua. “They think he’s so great. So when I beat him I want everybody to bow to my feet and tell me how great I am.”

It makes a ton of sense doesn’t it?

Let’s be honest here. If Joshua was to do what was expected of him the first time around, no one would have batted an eye. Now that Ruiz is widely viewed by many to be the best in the division, he wants his respect.

“I couldn’t beat Ruiz Jr before and get the credit I deserved. Apparently I’m fighting the quickest hands. The best fighter in the division. So once I beat him I want everybody to bow to me.”

In order for Joshua to gain this other worldly amount of respect he is looking for, he will need to get past Andy Ruiz Jr on December 7th. If the first fight was any indication however, that task won’t be an easy one for Joshua.

Posted on 11/23/2019

By: Hans Themistode

Now that we have gotten past our hysteria over Floyd Mayweather Jr making his return to the ring in 2020. We can now focus on who “Money May” plans on making his return against.

Following an instagram post marking his decision to fight once again in 2020, Mayweather subsequently posted a picture with UFC President Dana White. The last time these two were seen together, the pair put on one of the biggest events in 2017. That was of course, when Mayweather took on UFC star Conor McGregor in a boxing match. One that Mayweather won via tenth round stoppage.

A rematch with McGregor had long been discussed, but now, two years later, one has to believe that it wouldn’t be quite the draw that it was the first time around. With McGregor failing to win a contest in the octagon since 2016, he still remains a major draw but not what he once was.

McGregor was last seen in 2018 as he lost via submission to UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. The aforementioned Nurmagomedov, has now been linked to a contest with Mayweather. There has been a bit of resistance for the contest to take place, but as of late, it has been embraced more than ever.

Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap, welcomes the idea of his son facing Mayweather, who carries an undefeated record of 28-0 in his MMA career. First things first however, and that is a matchup between Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, a fighter who is currently on a 12 fight winning streak in the UFC. The contest between the two is expected to be one of the biggest in the history of the UFC.

“Floyd, I respect your wish to fight Khabib,” said Abdulmanap via Instagram. “At the moment we have our most crucial moment, when he have to hold the best fight in the history of the UFC.”

Unlike in 2017, Mayweather does not intend on returning to the ring for just one fight. Instead, it seems as though his first bout back will be something of a warm up as he gets himself prepared for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao.

According to reports, Mayweather believes that “the time is right” for a rematch to take place in 2020 with Pacquiao.

For over five years in the career of Mayweather, he has fought on two of the biggest Mexican holidays which are in May and September. Those dates have since been taken by current boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez. Mayweather could be angling to get them back.

Outside of his last contest which took place at the T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas, Mayweather has always made his home just down the block at the MGM Grand Arena. Mayweather could change that narrative as he eyes the Allegiant Stadium, which would be the home of the NFL team Las Vegas Raiders when the team officially moves from Oakland in 2020.

Nothing has been set in stone yet, but Mayweather is certainly making his return to the ring. Sit back, relax and prepare for one wild 2020. Courtesy of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Posted on 11/22/2019

By: Robert Aaron Contreras

No rematch is created equally. A return match can be called if the first go seemed like a fluke. Other times, the initial match proved to be such a scintillating matchup that public demand forces the two parties to do it all over again.

In June, WBA titleholder Andrew Cancio had already slung the gold belt over his shoulder. But speculation over former champion Alberto Machado’s conditioning left Cancio no choice but to affirm his claim of the WBA super featherweight title in a rematch. And he did by scrambling Machado’s insides with a left hook to the body, inducing a third-round knockout.

Now set to defend his strap for the second time, Cancio’s biggest challenge this weekend might not be the man in front of him—who he already holds a win over—but instead the fight card going on in Las Vegas, with Deontay Wilder at the top of the bill. The heavyweight star participates in a rematch of his own with Luis Ortiz after their classic slugfest last year.

So eyes may be limited for Cancio (21-4-2, 16 KO) as he tackles a former opponent in Rene Alvarado (31-8, 20 KO). DAZN will carry the action on Nov. 23, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The two previously met in 2015 when Cancio picked up a knockout victory in the eight round. The stoppage was well needed for the California native who had just dropped a bout to Ronny Rios. The future champ would lose once more (to JoJo Diaz) before putting together his masterpiece, stringing together four consecutive wins, culminating in two blowout victories over the sharpshooting beltholder Machado.

Four years on, the loss almost seems like an anomaly for Alvarado. It was part of a mediocre run across the lower tier of the division, competing between the U.S. and his homeland of Argentina. Recognizable names like Rocky Juarez, Jayson Velez and Yuriorkis Gamboa were too much for Alvarado. He lost to all of them and was 8-6 over his previous 14 bouts before mounting a seven-fight win streak, that dates back to the summer of 2017, on his way to a mandatory title defense this weekend.

The Argentinian veteran’s real watershed moment came on the undercard of the Orlando Salido vs. Mickey Roman melee. Alvarado had the warring ways perfectly suitable to support the violent main event and rushed out to an early lead against perennial contender Denis Shafikov, eventually earning a split-decision nod.

From there Alvarado’s pursuit for gold was on. He separated himself from the pack, including a decision over journeyman Carlos Morales, who just before that extended blue-chip prospect Ryan Garcia.
Much like his rival, Alvarado is experiencing a late surge. Already 30, the visiting challenger is still younger than Cancio, aged 31.

Cancio’s age and experience, though, is his advantage, only giving him longer time to adapt and evolve. He is some kind of boxing amoeba. Resurrected from his middling days as a featherweight, he is now elite; a banger by nature, he’s demonstrated that he can fight backwards—against the likes of Dardan Zenunaj—or simply seek and destroy as he did with frightening efficiency against Machado, twice.

As for the rest of the card, it is a relatively thin—totaling just nine bouts. The show includes featherweight beltholder Can Xu, who in the beginning of the year became the third world champion ever from China. He defends his belt for the second time against undefeated tyro Manny Robles III.

Posted on 11/21/2019

By: Hans Themistode

It may not seem fair, but life doesn’t always afford us with second chances.

For Heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz, he is one of the very few who is an exception and not the rule.

Ortiz has long been given the distinction of the most avoided fighter in the Heavyweight division. There is a reason why even at his advanced age, that no one truly wanted to step into the ring with him.

WBC belt holder and self proclaimed king of the division Deontay Wilder didn’t believe in the hype surrounding Ortiz and almost paid a price for it.

When the two men met in March of 2018, at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York, Ortiz was just a few seconds away from stopping Wilder in the seventh. Things didn’t quite play out the way he was expecting as Wilder survived the round and subsequently stopped Ortiz in the tenth.

Ortiz will now be given another chance. At 40 years old this could very well be his last shot at a title. Beating Wilder won’t be easy, but it can be done. Keep reading to find out the keys that could lead Ortiz to victory.

Forget About Patience

The first contest between them was action packed, but the first four rounds were painfully slow. This is a normal trend in boxing as fighters take a bit of time to find their rhythm and shake off any nerves that they have at that moment.

It might sound a bit suicidal to tell Ortiz to jump right in, but the sooner he can get the attention and respect of Wilder the better. Notice that I didn’t say be reckless. Just simply throw your heavy artillery from the very beginning.

Find That Straight Left Hand Again

Finding success against Wilder is such a seldom discovery. Yet, Ortiz is one of the very few who was able to find some. Outside of Wilders first fight with Tyson Fury, no one else has been able to find a consistent recipe for success against him. Ortiz has many tools in his bag but his left is undoubtedly his best one.

Wilder found himself on the wrong end of those left hands and because of it, almost lost his WBC title in the seventh round. Ortiz needs to find that punch once again. Wilder might find a way to neutralize it the second time around but if Ortiz is going to pull off this upset than he needs to get that punching going once again.

Keep Your Hands Up

It sounds like very basic instructions. Putting up your hands is essentially the first thing a fighter learns in the boxing ring. Too many times during their first contest was Ortiz caught with his hands down. You cannot, I repeat cannot do that against Wilder. For as vagarious as the WBC champion is, one thing that he does not do is go down to the body. He’s a head hunter, and a very good one at that.

Ortiz needs to protect himself from that by keeping his hands up at all time. If Wilder can knock Ortiz out with a body shot, then so be it. He has yet to prove that he can do that to anyone in his career so you have to think it’s something that he just isn’t capable of doing.

Posted on 11/13/2019

By: Hans Themistode

WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is set to return to the ring on November 23rd, at the MGM Grand Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada. His opponent will be a familiar face in Luis Ortiz. These two larger than life big men shared the ring one year ago in March at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York and produced a candidate for fight of the year.

During their first encounter Ortiz got off the deck in the fifth round to seriously hurt Wilder in the seventh. The WBC champ would bounce right back to go ahead and close the show in the tenth round. With Wilder getting hurt for the first time in his career in their first bout there is no question that Ortiz was by far his toughest fight to date. A sentiment that Wilder agrees with.

Photo Credit: Premier Boxing Champions Twitter Account

“When I fought Ortiz, not only did he have the pedigree, but also he had the classification of being the boogeyman of the division,” said Wilder about Ortiz. “I agree with those who say that Luis Ortiz was my toughest fight to date. No one wanted to fight him and they still don’t. In the rematch there’s more confidence and more motivation to do what I have to do.”

Wilder (41-0-1, 40 KOs) has always been keen to the idea of facing Ortiz once again. Now that the rematch is taking place in less than two weeks, the reigning WBC champion is ecstatic to not only share the ring with his rival once more, but also to be defending his title once again and build upon his already growing legacy.

“It’s a great honor to say this is gonna be my 10th title defense,” said Wilder. “Considering many people never thought I would be a Champ at all. I’ve always fought for legacy. I want to be the best to ever do it. When people talk about boxing I want them to say Deontay wilder.”

Wilder’s dream of becoming the best fighter of all-time is a stretch and an outcome that just isn’t going to happen. However, he is one of, if not the hardest hitting Heavyweight that has ever graced the ring. He has placed every opponent he has faced on the canvas and plans to do so once again.

“When you fight Deontay Wilder, I take years off your life. He already got some of that sweet potato pie the first time and he’s coming back again for seconds and I’m ready to fill his mouth again. Nov. 23 is gonna be an amazing time for boxing and boxing fans. The first fight was a thrilling fight and kept everyone on the edge of their seats. Here we are again, the same game plan coming in for us. I can’t wait.”

The excitement of Wilder is evident but he isn’t the only one. The fans and the entire boxing world are eager to see these two great fighters share the ring one more time.

Thankfully for everyone involved, we won’t have to wait much longer.

Posted on 10/16/2019

By: Hans Themistode

Lineal Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs) waged war against WBC belt holder Deontay Wilder (41-0-1, 40 KOs) back on December 1st, 2018. The contest, which took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles California was a thrilling one.

Fury was knocked down in the early goings of the match but seemingly outboxed Wilder for the remainder of the contest. The United Kingdom born Fury was seemingly on his way to a decision victory until he was once again knocked down in the final round. The knock down saved Wilder from a loss as the contest was ruled a draw.

For fight fans everywhere, how could they complain? They witnessed one of the best Heavyweight title fights in recent memory and with their contest ending in a draw the two big men were sure to do it again. Those sentiments proved to be true as both champions revealed that they signed off on a rematch which is slated to take place sometime in February of 2020, provided of course, Wilder wins his November 23rd rematch against Luis Ortiz.

Wilder vs Fury 2 is easily one of the most anticipated fights of the 2020 calendar. Unfortunately for the fans however, it is a contest that could go by the wayside.

As of late, Fury has made a surprising turn into the world of WWE. The popular wrestling broadcast has grown an attachment of sorts to Fury.

Recently, Fury was seen on WWE’s Raw episode engaging in a back and forth feud with current Super star wrestler, Braun Strowman. After several altercations with one another, Fury signed up to settle his beef with Strowman later this month on Halloween in Saudi Arabia.

What seemed to be nothing more than just harmless fun for Fury, has quickly turned into something more.

Following his last boxing ring appearance in which he outpointed a very tough Otto Wallin over 12 rounds on September 14th, Fury was told that he should stay away from physically strenuous activity to allow the cut he suffered from that contest to heal. The most ideal time for Fury to return to normal physical activity would be sometime in mid November.

With Fury now involving himself in the WWE, many have feared that he could place himself at risk for the Wilder fight. Fury has reassured everyone that his October 31st contest will not come in the way of his showdown with Wilder next year.

Yet, in the span of just a few days, Fury has made a complete 180. Fury is Reportedly receiving 15 million for his lone contest in the WWE. The large sum of cash has given Fury cause to pause on his matchup with Wilder.

“There’s a hell of a chance of that,” said Fury when posed with the question of whether he would forgo his rematch with Wilder in order to stay with the WWE.

For Fury this isn’t simply some publicity stunt in order to collect large sums of money. He is taking his possibly new career very seriously.

“I’ve been training at the WWE facility in Orlando,” said Fury. “I was supposed to be resting while the eye mended but I’m excited about 385lbs of Braun coming at me. Yeah, me against Wilder is the biggest fight in boxing but I’m not thinking about that now. I’m just enjoying my life – and concentrating on WWE.”

Although the WWE must be thrilled with Fury seemingly coming onboard for the time being, this isn’t the news that boxing fans wanted to hear.

At this point, there is nothing more that can be done. Fans who are hoping to see a rematch between Wilder and Fury will simply have to wait and see how this plays out.

Posted on 10/14/2019

By: Sean Crose

Boxing fans looking to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia now have a chance to satisfy both the inner fan and the inner tourist, for Matchroom Boxing announced on Sunday that tickets for the Andy Ruiz-Anthony Joshua rematch are now on sale. The first bout between the two heavyweights, which went down at New York’s Madison Square Garden last June, was one of the sport’s biggest upsets in years, as Ruiz stopped legitimate star and titlist Joshua in the Englishman’s US debut. Rather than fight in Great Britain (Joshua territory) or the United States (Ruiz territory), the two will meet for a second time in the most neutral of locations.

“On December 7,” Matchroom stated in a press release, “in the UNESCO heritage site of Diriyah – known as the land of kings and heroes – Anthony ‘AJ’ Joshua will attempt to recapture belts taken from him by Andy ‘Destroyer’ Ruiz Jr in Diriyah Arena, a purpose-built arena for 15,000 fans on the night.” Matchroom also claimed that “travelers from 49 countries across the world can now secure 90 day tourist visas online in just seven minutes.” Joshua promoter, and Matchroom honcho, Eddie Hearn made sure to present himself in full salesman mode for the occasion:

“We already know there is a great passion for boxing in the Kingdom,” he stated, “but AJ and Andy will want their fans to come and support them, from across the region and from the UK and the US and Mexico.” Hearn also compared the fight and its surprising locality to famed battles of lore. “Due to the unique venue,” he said, “being staged outside of the UK or the US, the fight has already seen parallels drawn in the media to some of the most iconic fights in history, such as Muhammad Ali’s fights against George Foreman – ‘the Rumble in the Jungle’ – and Joe Frazier – the ‘Thrilla in Manila’”.

Clearly the Diriyah location is being used as a huge selling point and attention getter for the bout, which is being promoted as The Clash on the Dunes.“We have already seen the energy created by boxing when we staged the World Boxing Super Series match last year,” claimed Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, who is the Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Sports Authority. “This landmark moment – the first World Heavyweight Title fight in the Middle East – now takes that excitement to a whole new level.” He further stated that: “Athletes and audiences can expect to be knocked out by the passionate reception this event will enjoy in the Kingdom, and now, with the launch of tourism visas for 49 countries, it has never been easier for fans from around the world to come be part of history.”

The excitement was shared by Saudi Center for Energy Efficiency Chairman HH Prince Khaled bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. “This is a historic moment for Saudi Arabia,” he said, “welcoming the first World Heavyweight Championship. As a nation we have started to pave the way for becoming a global player in the sports and entertainment industry and we have witnessed a real appetite for the boxing sport.” He added that “This is the biggest boxing fight that has taken place in the region to date and we are bringing it to Saudi Arabia on December 7 – the world is watching us and we promise to deliver an unparalleled experience. SCEE are a proud partner of the GSA bringing Clash on the Dunes to Diriyah Season, 2019.”

Posted on 09/28/2019

By: Sean Crose

WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will once again be defending his crown against the highly skilled Luis Ortiz. The two men will meet for the second time in the ring this November 23d at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card will be aired live on Fox Pay Per View and will fall under Al Haymon’s Premiere Boxing Champions (PBC) banner. This will be Wilder’s first fight since demolishing Dominic Breazeale last spring. Although Wilder is expected to have a rematch of his memorable bout with Tyson Fury early next year, no one can accuse the Alabama native of taking a soft touch in Ortiz.

The 31-1 Ortiz performed brilliantly against the 40-0-1 Willder when the two first fought in 2018. Indeed, it looked as if Ortiz might well walk away with the WBC belt. Wilder, however, had earned a power puncher’s reputation for a reason. He ended up stopping the difficult Ortiz in thunderous fashion. “When I fought Ortiz,” said Wilder, “not only did he have the pedigree, but also he had the classification of being the boogey man of the division.” For a man known to trash talk, Wilder had words of respect for this particular foe. “I agree,” he said, “with those who say that Luis Ortiz was my toughest fight to date. No one wanted to fight him and they still don’t.”

The popular Leo Santa Cruz will also be on the November 23d pay per view card. His opponent will be Miguel Flores. Although many wanted the 36-1-1 Santa Cruz to face the highly regarded Gary Russell Jr, Santa Cruz will be moving up in weight to fight the 24-2 Flores for a WBA junior lightweight belt. Santa Cruz has won titles in three previous divisions, but does not fight with regularity. Although he’s fought top level boxer Carl Frampton twice, he hasn’t fought other to names like Russell, and – years ago – Guillermo Rigondeaux.

“When I first started boxing,” said Santa Cruz, “my dream was to be a world champion and I’ve been fortunate to win three different championships in three divisions.” Although he’s already being criticized for having Flores as an opponent, Santa Cruz spoke highly of his soon to be foe. “I know Flores is another tough Mexican boxer like me ,” he said. “He always comes forward, so it’s going to be a fun fight for the fans.”

Posted on 09/20/2019

By: Shane Willoughby

There doesn’t appear to be a rematch clause for the winner of Errol Spence vs Shawn Porter. Both fighters have expressed what their plans are after the fight but they haven’t mentioned a rematch, which normally is a sign of there being no rematch clause.

It isn’t unusual for a fight of this magnitude – to champions unifying the belt to not have a rematch clause. But what it does reveal is both fighters are extremely confident in themselves.

During the prolonged negotiations with Wilder and Anthony Joshua, AJ ensured there was a rematch clause if he lost. In fact, there was a rematch clause if he lost against Joseph Parker.

Now you look at it that it was actually very good business, but a sign of insecurity. Earlier this year we saw Canelo Alvarez take on Danny Jacobs. Although both fighters had belts only Canelo had a rematch clause. Which meant when Jacobs lost, which he did he wasn’t able to fight for his belt again.

With Spence and Porter, they may not have the profile of an AJ or Canelo to dictate terms and agreements but they appear much more secure within themselves.

Especially Spence, who is being built as the next biggest star in America. This is now his 2nd Pay-per-view in a row and Al Haymon is investing a great amount in him. But a loss at this stage in his career can really put a hold on his progression.

Now, many fight fans see Spence as a clear favourite but Porter is a dangerous fighter who can trouble any welterweight. It just seems a bit careless not to have a rematch clause in place, especially for Spence.

All it takes is a clash of heads or robbery on the scorecards and Al Haymon’s gravy train is on hold. Although both fighters are signed to PBC, Shawn Porter is far from a megastar in the sport, and it’s clear to see that most of Haymon’s investments are in building Spence to replace Mayweather.

Without a rematch clause it just spells disaster. Haymon has done fantastic at freezing Terence Crawford out of the welterweight picture, keeping his fighters away from the WBO champion but if Porter beats Spence all of that would have been for nothing.

In an ideal world for PBC, Spence goes and beats Porter and Pacquiao and goes to the negotiating table with 3 belts against Crawfords 1. But if he loses to Porter the future of PBC at welterweight rests on ‘Showtimes’ shoulders. It’s hard to see Porter voluntarily giving Spence the rematch, given how long it took him to sign for this fight.

Posted on 09/19/2019

By: Hans Themistode

Canelo Alvarez has a date with one of the biggest names in boxing in Sergey Kovalev on November 2nd, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Alvarez will be looking to become a four weight world champion as he attempts to capture Kovalev’s WBO Light Heavyweight belt.

Although it is a great fight, Alvarez, no matter who he fights going forward will always be linked to former unified Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (GGG).

These two have shared the ring on two separate occasions. In 2017 many believed that their first encounter should have resulted in GGG getting his hand raised. Instead, he was forced to settle for a highly disputed draw. When they met once more one year later, the result was still a bit erroneous to some as Alvarez walked away with the win.

When GGG signed a six fight agreement earlier this year to fight on the streaming app DAZN, just months after Alvarez signed his own historic deal, the belief was that these two would meet in the ring once again this calendar year.

Instead of facing each other, the two have decided to go in separate directions. Alvarez is, as previously mentioned moving up to the Light Heavyweight division to take on Sergey Kovalev. While GGG will be taking on former title challenger and highly rated contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko.

Thoughts of these two all-time great fighters sharing the ring once again we’re fading. That is until Alvarez’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya announced that the plan is indeed for these two to share the ring in 2020.

“Well, he (Golovkin) will be one of the opponents for next year,” said De La Hoya. “He has to be. Obviously, the people want to see it. The world wants to see it, and Golovkin deserves it. You will absolutely see Canelo and GGG fight next year.”

First things first however. Both men must come out of their respective matches unscathed. No matter how big a fight between Canelo and GGG will be the third time around, De La Hoya holds firm to the belief that Canelo’s upcoming contest against Kovalev is even bigger.

“The GGG fight could happen in May or September next year, but that fight will happen. But Canelo’s fight against Kovalev is huge. I think it’s bigger than a fight against GGG. It’s a mega-fight. Kovalev has a real shot to knock him out and beat him and people know that.”

Canelo Alvarez is having himself one heck of a 2019. He began his year with a win over former two times champion Daniel Jacobs, which resulted in him unifying the Middleweight titles. His contest against Sergey Kovalev in November is yet another huge test for him. The early signs seem to show that 2020 will be another blockbuster year for Alvarez.