Wilder - Fury Part 2: Gypsy King and The Bronze Bomber
Gypsy King and The Bronze Bomber clashed to cap off 2018 with one of the most epic boxing duels of all time. It ended in a draw. That in itself is a testament of how great of a show it was, because when was the last time you heard about exciting draws?
Now the stage is set for the part II. Wilder (42-0-1) and Fury (29-0-1) will meet in Vegas on February 22 to settle the score once and for all. Wilder's WBC heavyweight title will be on the line.
Both fighters still stand undefeated, and both have done some rounds after their last meeting. Wilder defeated Dominic Breazeale (USA) with a swift 1st round KO back in May of 2019 and then went on to teach a lesson to Luis Ortiz (CUB), knocking him out cold the second time in less than two years.
Tyson Fury meanwhile scored a 2nd round victory over German Tom Schwarz back in June of 2019 and went the distance with Swede Otto Wallin in September coming out on top with a unanimous decision. The real MVP of that second fight might have been the Fury's cutman, who managed to salvage the fight for Fury when Wallin opened up a wide gash over Fury's right eye in the third round. That last fight, however, can only add extra value to those who are eyeing Fury as their pick against Wilder, since Tyson still looked dominant and easily took control of the second part of the fight.
To a lot of boxing fans, the draw in their first meeting was a bit of a controversy, since many believed that Fury did enough to dethrone Wilder. The salvation for Wilder came in the twelfth round when he landed a combination that put Fury flat on his back. Everyone except Fury thought that the fight was over. Fury, surprisingly, beat the count and came back to life and even managed to finish the fight on a high note by landing a couple of good combos on exhausted Wilder.
Overall, it is not crazy to say that Fury did, in fact, outclass Wilder in the first fight. Wilder is known as a one-trick pony, who can not do much else besides landing bombs that can end careers. However, Fury is way too smart of a fighter to walk right into that. Fury was feeling out Wilder at first and then masterfully dodging most of his shots. Wilder landed only around 16% of his punches. By the last third of the fight, Wilder was visibly exhausted, and Fury took full advantage of that. Until that one shot by The Bronze Bomber.
I do believe that Fury is a superior boxer in this second outing, having put in more reps to shake off the rust once and for all. It is not unreasonable to think that Tyson Fury has gotten even better and that Wilder has stayed more or less the same not to discount the danger he brings to the table. Fury cracked the Wilder code in their first fight, and he should be able to do it again. The objective - movement, combinations, cardio, and praying to god that Wilder does not connect.
Considering the always present danger of a knockout blow, I expect Fury to be even more cautious this time around and would not be surprised if the fight boils down to judges' scorecards once again.
