Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury ‘A Fight For Redemption, Supremacy and Legacy’

By Anthony “Stacks” Saldaña

On December 1st the WBC World Heavyweight Champion, Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Alabama will look to get one step closer to a “Super Fight” with the unified Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, but first Wilder has to handle the tall task in front of him. The lineal heavyweight champion and the 6 foot 9, Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury (27-0, 19 KOs), of Manchester, England. The bout between Wilder and Fury will headline a Showtime Pay-Per-View live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The 33-year-old Wilder looks to keep his unblemished record alive when he defends his WBC heavyweight title versus Fury, who is still considered the lineal heavyweight champion because he’s never lost the in the ring. Fury who is named after the former heavyweight champion “Iron” Mike Tyson competed as an amateur for both England and Ireland before turning professional in 2008. Fury had early success in his career and was eventually was given a chance to take on the lineal champion Wladimir Klitschko. A Fight where Fury shocked the world and came away with unanimous decision in Germany to claim the WBO, IBF and WBA titles in November 2015. Klitschko had reigned champion for almost a decade, and Fury used his jab and movement to outpoint the Ukrainian. Then Fury’s life would take a downward spiral as he turned to cocaine and alcohol to cope with his depression issues “I could not pinpoint what made me depressed, I was rich, successful, young, healthy, had a family, fame – everything a man could dream of – but I was still depressed.” Said Fury in an interview with the BBC. “I woke up every day wishing I would not wake up any more.” Failed drug test then led to the sanctioning bodies stripping Fury of his titles and Fury becoming the first heavyweight lineal champion to be stripped of “The Ring” title since 1922. Fury would however turn his life around and turn to boxing to do it. “Boxing again has brought me back to full health mentally, and it means so much now that people are approaching me for help with their issues. This is something that will always stay with me. It means so much. I’m living proof anyone can come back from the brink.” Now Fury has enrolled in the WBC Clean Boxing program ahead of his fight with Wilder and looks to get back to the top of the division. “This is an important fight for boxing, because it’s two undefeated champions facing off. There have been people not getting in the ring with top guys for whatever reason, but here you have two fighters stepping up and onto the line.” Stated Fury at a recent media workout. “It’s a pretty easy fight to analyze, Deontay Wilder needs to connect with that big right hand and knock me out, and I need to not let him do that. I need to do whatever I can to get out the way of that right hand, and make him worry about defending my punches. I already became a unified champion; I’ve crossed the bridge into the very upper echelon of the sport. This time I’m back and I’m here for good.”

Wilder the Alabama native didn’t start boxing until the age of 19 when he became a father. Wilder known for his athleticism was junior college basketball player at Shelton State College in Tuscaloosa but because his daughter, Naieya, was born with spina bifida, Wilder quit school. Deontay started working two jobs and eventually took up boxing, and in less than 3 years and after only 21 amateur fights, he became an US Olympian who won a bronze medal in the 2008 Summer Games. This led to his nickname of “The Bronze Bomber”, which Wilder coined after Joe Louis, who was also from Alabama and was known by the nickname of “The Brown Bomber.” To begin his professional career Wilder was knocking out opponent after opponent, and after knocking out Malik Scott, “The Bronze Bomber” had knocked out 31 straight. Although Deontay had fought a very poor level of opposition as a pro, he was never bothered by criticism, due to the fact he wasn’t your typical Olympic medalist. Deontay didn’t have hundreds of amateur bouts or have years of experience, like fighters such as two-time gold medalists Guillermo Rigondeaux and Vasyl Lomachenko. As a professional Wilder would go on however win a one sided unanimous decision victory over Bermane Stiverne at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Wilder vs. Stiverne fight was the first heavyweight title fight at the MGM Grand since Mike Tyson bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear 18 years earlier. Both Tyson and Holyfield were on hand to watch Wilder become the first American to hold a piece of the heavyweight title since Shannon Briggs in 2007 and 2008. Wilder who will be defending his WBC Title for the eighth time is coming off the toughest fight of his career against Luis “King Kong” Ortiz will now look to cement his name amongst the all time heavyweight greats with a victory over Tyson Fury. “I feel like I’m at my very best right now,” Wilder said at a recent media workout. “Mentally, physically and emotionally I’m ready to go. Everything is perfect. I just want to get in the ring and show action. Tyson Fury doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into.” Wilder however will be facing a bigger man when he takes on 6 foot 9, 265Lb Fury. “You’ll get two giants who are athletic and move around the ring like no one else in this sport. Fury has height just like me and he also brings an awkward style like myself. He’s rangy, mobile and he believes he’s the best in the world. They say that I have the power and he has the boxing skills. We’ll see on Dec. 1. It’s a puncher versus a boxer. I think the puncher is going to box his lights out, and then I’m going to knock his lights out.”