Deontay Wilder v Tyson Fury - Fight Preview

Deontay Wilder v Tyson Fury - WBC World Heavyweight Championship Fight

One of the most enticing fights of 2018 will hit the Staples Center in Los Angeles this coming weekend. Tyson Fury, the lineal heavyweight champion, collides with the one-punch knockout merchant, and WBC champion, Deontay Wilder.

Although a shock when announced – to the extent that Hearn said it would never happen - the bout seems to make sense to both fighters. The ‘Bronze Bomber’ needs a name on an undefeated record, which despite containing 39 KO’s from 40 wins, only has Ortiz as a well-respected victory. The American will also want to test Fury as early as possible, since The Gypsy King has only had two tune-up fights prior to this, and it’s questionable whether he will have the stamina and sharpness against such a powerful puncher. For if it weren’t for Fury’s two years or so of inaction due to mental health issues, many more pundits would be picking Tyson for victory in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Fury is adamant that his style makes him simply too slick and awkward for Wilder, which seems to be creditable, given that he is able to switch hit effectively, moving from Orthodox to Southpaw to confuse opponents. As always, southpaws tend to do well when counter-punching against big hitters looking to deliver a telling straight overhand right from an orthodox stance. The distance required for Wilder to land his blows, could well be too far in order to trouble an out-of-range and slippery 6ft 8in Fury, who is also effective at tying up the smaller man on the inside.

This tactic of Fury’s to fight defensively, albeit with his hands down, and showboating while out of range, seems to be one of the only certainties in a contest where few others exist. Will Tyson have fought off the ring rust? Does Deontay have enough intelligence to open up a fighter who is highly regarded as having the best boxing brain in the division? If Tyson gets caught with his guard down, can he take the power, against the most explosive knockout artist in world boxing?

Personally, I would say that despite his extensive lay-off, Fury is simply too awkward for Wilder, with only Joshua perhaps giving him trouble, further down the road. Fury has the brain to accentuate his strengths; chiefly height, reach, and ability to switch hit and shoulder roll, which should be enough to outpoint the American, or at least take the fight deep into the championship rounds. Betfair currently offer 4/11 on Wilder to win by KO/TKO OR Fury to win on points. These odds are more attractive than these appear at first glance, given that Fury is not a renowned hard-hitter and would prefer to accumulate points and frustrate Wilder; an opponent who aggressively seeks victory by knockout, and knows little else.

Punters who wish to go with a smaller stake, but enjoy a more than fair pay-out, could do well to look at Wilder winning in the latter rounds. Betfair offer 10/1 on Wilder winning between rounds 10-12, which looks like a decent punt, should Fury manage to tie Wilder up in knots in the early half of the fight, then run out of steam towards the end, or finally drop his hands one time too many, and get caught by the ‘Alabama Slammer’, late on.

For punters who prefer to back the British man, it wouldn’t appear too wise to back him to stop Wilder, and almost nobody in the boxing community has tipped otherwise. For those looking to purely back Tyson, odds of 3/1 (Betfair) for Fury by Unanimous Decision seem worth a shot. It is rarely easy for away fighters to get such decisions, but if Fury can reproduce the form he did at Klitschko in Germany, then it may be possible. Wilder’s style is going to be far more unpredictable than the Ukrainian’s straight up and down, no special effects robotics, but he is also clumsy at times, which suggests he lacks the ring craft to effectively get to Tyson.

In general, the self-proclaimed Gipsy King is often vastly underestimated and somewhat unloved, due partly to his awkward style and defensive approach, and often due to his outspoken rants, which were well documented in the press. He hasn’t been marketed to appeal to the mainstream in the same way as an Anthony Joshua, and this might lead to his betting odds being slightly more generous than they should be, as he is still overlooked and written off. Comparisons of the ease with which Fury beat Klitschko - at times with his hands behind his back - to Joshua having to come up off the deck, bear this out. In short, I would suggest that often there is value when backing Fury.

However, for those who simply can’t stand him, or bet indifferent as to whether or not they are backing a Brit or an American, perhaps an interest on Wilder for a round 10-12 stoppage might be wiser at 10/1. He will need rounds to slow the lineal champ down with body shots, before he can start to offload, late on, with left hooks and his trademark straight right. Expect a cautious opening to the fight, with neither fighter willing to take chances early on, and risk losing their much needed unbeaten record; required leverage in any future Joshua negotiations.

Deontay Wilder v Tyson Fury betting tips:

Wilder to win by KO/TKO OR Fury to win on points @ 4/11 (betfair)

Wilder to win in rounds 10-12 @ 10/1 (betfair)

Deontay Wilder v Tyson Fury betting offer:

Plenty of betting offers to get stuck into on this one, the pick of the bunch being:

by Paul Francis