Unless you have been living under a rock for the past two weeks.
You would have known that the WBC has ordered an immediate rematch for their heavyweight title, between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury after they battled to a controversial draw.
Their heavyweight title match up in the Staples Centre, Los Angeles, delivered on almost all fronts. With a thrilling title fight, a dramatic late knockdown and two of the very best in the division going at it. Only issue is, as all to often in boxing. The judge’s decision let the sport down.
For the record, I gave it to Fury by two points. I had Fury winning 8 rounds and Wilder winning four with one of them being generous.
Two of Wilder’s four rounds he won, were the obvious rounds he scored knockdowns in, thus making them 10-8 rounds. Giving Fury a two point win 114-112 on my scorecard.
How on earth one judge scored it 115-111 for Wilder is beyond and joke and nothing less than a robbery.
Nevertheless. I was really surprised and impressed with Fury’s performance. I knew he would move and give Wilder problems with his jab, however, I didn’t expect him to give Wilder so much problems throughout the fight.
I predicted a Wilder win with a late stoppage. This almost came to fruition. But even when Wilder knocked Fury down for the second time in the 12th, I still felt he didn’t deserve the win, and this is coming from someone who has never been a Fury fan.
How Fury got up from that, only God alone knows. Credit to Fury’s recovery skills, it surprised everyone.
The draw was the biggest disappointment of the whole event that had everything in the build up and delivered in the ring.
It just goes back to my age-old criticism and question of why ex boxers and not boxing judges? If ever there were anyone, who would know what’s going on in there, regardless of what angle they are sitting, it’s ex boxers.
I am not sure why and how this has not come up or been looked at for the future, especially in a sport that’s had so many controversial and atrocious decisions.
Maybe, that’s exactly the reason why it has not been suggested or looked at. Maybe these ex boxers cannot be bought or controlled. Just saying.
Anyway, that’s another story. In terms of the rematch. I’m sure it doesn’t help Anthony Joshua, who stated he would fight the winner. Joshua is/was set for a return in April and was expecting to fight either Fury or Wilder.
Even after the draw, it was said Joshua was looking at Wilder to unify the division, then Fury will fight the winner for all the marbles.
But the draw and sanctioned rematch has put a spanner is those works. Although, this is boxing, and as we all know anything can happen and change.
Nevertheless, for now, it looks as though Wilder and Fury will have to do it all again.
Due to the first fight. I am sure with Fury coming back after two and half years out, battling drug addiction, mental health issues and being overweight.
To have two sub par fights, then stepping into the WBC title fight to outbox and outfox the unbeaten WBC champion. Almost everyone is expecting Fury to take the rematch.
Wilder has since stated he sustained an arm injury prior to training camp, which required surgery, that hindered his preparation.
Many were skeptical about that but it could be the reason why he came in the lightest he had done since 2008.
With Fury on the comeback trail, you can only think he will be even better in the rematch. So the fight will depend on if Wilder can be any different from the first fight, injury or not. Many People think not and believe Fury’s superior movement and boxing ability make him an odds on favourite.
But it doesn’t always work out like that and often. The first chance is the best. However, Fury must be confident going into the rematch.
Wilder on the other hand, must be wary of losing his title, however, with knocking Fury down twice and almost out in the 12th, he knows he has the power to hurt Fury and has something to work on for the rematch.
Fury knows if he stays smart and can stay out the way of Wilder’s generally telegraphed shots.
He will be the new WBC champ. However, there have been many instances where rematches has not exactly gone the way it’s expected to go.
Very recently, the Canelo v Triple G rematch in September 2018, after their controversial draw the year earlier, was expected to go GGG’s way, but Canelo had other ideas and fought his way to majority decision win.
Not that long ago. Many were expecting Sergey Kovalev to give André Ward an even closer run for his money, in their rematch after Ward’s close victory in their first fight. But Ward became the puncher and ended up stopping Kovalev, much to everyone’s surprise.
Going further back. I remember when Julian Jackson was knocking people out for fun. He was matched up against a strong but untested Gerald McClellan.
Who stopped Jackson in the fifth. Many thought Jackson took him lightly. However, in the rematch a year later. McClellan stopped Jackson in the first round. That was his last fight before the Benn fight.
Some other classics that went both ways was when Lennox Lewis controversially drew with Evander Holyfield, where most thought Lewis clearly won.
However, Lewis subsequently won the rematch to unify the titles. Jeff Fenech & Azumah Nelson also controversially drew in 1991, where many fought Fenech was robbed. But in the rematch in Australia, Azumah Nelson knocked Fenech out to retain his title.
It’s obvious the Wilder v Fury rematch will be eagerly anticipated and judging by the first fight, it could be an absolute classic, possible even better than the first.
Which is often hard to say about rematches. No matter what happens, and what fight actually gets made next. It’s fair to say the heavyweight division is well and truly back.
