Wilder vs Fury 2

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Lee Cleveland Updated March 17, 2020

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Heavyweight

Record: KO: KO Pct: Age: Height: Weight: Reach: Stance: Nationality: Titles:

Deontay Wilder 42 -0 -1 41 95% 201cm/6 feet 7" - 211cm/83" orthodox USA WBC

Tyson Fury 29 -0 -1 20 67% 206cm/6 feet 9" - 216cm/85" orthodox United Kingdom -

RING Magazine / WBC Heavyweight titles

Wilder vs Fury 2 Results and Scoring

Fury (Won) TKO 7 Wilder

Fight was stopped when Wilder conerman Mark Breland threw in the towel (Breland wasn't the chief second, who is usually responsible for making that decision)
Fury was ahead on all 3 scorecards 59-52, 59-52 and 58-53
Fury scored 2 knockdowns
Fury was deducted a point for an infraction

Wilder vs Fury 2 Date, Location and Broadcast

February 22, 2020
MGM Grand Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA

BT Sport
ESPN Plus
Fox PPV

Wilder vs Fury 2 Attendance / Live Gate

MGM Grand Las Vegas was sold out (15, 816). In attendance were Mike Tyson, Super Bowl champion -- and MVP -- Patrick Mahomes and his favorite receiver Travis Kelce, Magic Johnson, and WWE executives and legends Triple H and wife Stephanie McMahon among other celebrities.

Record breaking: Live gate of $16,916,440 for Wilder-Fury 2 broke the Nevada record for a heavyweight fight. Wilder vs Fury 2, as of Feb 23, 2020, is the seventh-highest gate overall in Nevada history.

Wilder vs Fury 2 PPV Price

Cost: $79.99 (US)

TV Broadcasts: BT Sport (UK) | ESPN PPV (US) | Fox PPV (US)

The current rate is a $5 increase from their bout in December 2018. In the US, the first Fury vs Wilder fight, cost $74.95 and generated only 325,000 PPV buys. Although the fight will be broadcast in numerous regions, such as Latin America, Australia and Russia, promoters are depending on the US and UK for a lion's share of the income.

Wilder vs Fury 2 PPV Buys

1.2 million (est as of 2/29/20)
Mike Coppinger initially announced that Wilder vs Fury 2 generated between 800-850,000 PPV buys.

“In regards to the Fury vs Wilder (II) Pay-Per-View, they don’t have the digital numbers yet. The digital is well over 300,000 buys,” Arum exclusively told World Boxing News. “It’s probably sort of accurate (the 850,000 reported). But then you add in the digital on top of that. So three hundred and change (to 850,000). It’s closer to 1.2 million.” Once officially crunched, those final tallies will be a solid return to the big time for heavyweight boxing in the United States.

And according to Chris Mannix, digital buys through ESPN+ and the FOX Sports app saved the night, doing better than expected. Traditional cable underperformed.

Wilder vs Fury 2 Purses

There was a 50-50 purse split and the fighter's received at least $25 Million USD apiece plus a certain percentage of PPV revenue. Should they fight a third time, it's believed (although not confirmed by us) the purse will be split 60/40 in Fury's favor.

Wilder vs Fury 2 Stats, Facts & Fight PursesWilder vs Fury 2 Stats, Facts & Fight Purses

Fury vs Wilder 2 Referee and Judges

Judges
Glenn Feldman of Connecticut
Dave Moretti of Nevada,
Steve Weisfeld of New Jersey

Referee: Kenny Bayless of Nevada

Fury vs Wilder 2 Undercard

Key Match-Up
Charles Martin vs. Gerald Washington
Heavyweights

Many are complaining about the undercard for the rematch between WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and lineal king Tyson Fury. And yes, the undercard could be better. However, if you're a hardcore fan of the heavyweight division or want to be immersed in heavyweight boxing, you'll find Prince Charles Martin (27-2-1, 24 KO) vs Gerald Washington (20-3-1, 13 KO) intriguing.

Think of it as a NFL Wild Card game between teams that are 8-8 and 9-7. They're in the "playoffs" and the outcome still influences the overall landscape.

Martin, a former belt holder, and Washington are top 20 heavyweights and the winner of that bout will be the IBF's mandatory opponent for the winner of the WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight title match between reigning champion Anthony Joshua and challenger Kubrat Pulev.

... Shockingly, either Martin or Washington will be fighting for at least one of the 'big cookies' very soon so Martin vs Washington will have an impact on heavyweight boxing. And a stoppage win, regardless of who gets it, would be real statement maker.

Main card

Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury
Wilder's WBC and Fury's lineal heavyweight titles

Charles Martin vs. Gerald Washington
Heavyweights

Emanuel Navarrete vs. Jeo Tupas Santisima
Navarrete's WBO jr. featherweight title

Sebastian Fundora vs. Daniel Lewis
Jr. middleweight

Wilder vs Fury 2 Stats

CompuBox: Tyson Fury outlanded Deontay Wilder 82-34 in total punches; Fury landed 58 power punches and Wilder connected on just 18 power shots.
Left ear: Wilder's left ear started bleeding several rounds prior to the stoppage; It may have been a busted ear drum.
Round 2: Wilder's best round of the fight; But even this stanza could have been conceivably scored for Fury due to his superior ring generalship. Wilder connected on 11 of 27 shots while Fury connected on 8 punches 27 thrown; Wilder landed 4 of 8 power shots while connected on just 2 of 11. One judge awards this round to Wilder.

Round 3: Fury controlled the round with his jab, keeping Wilder at bay. With 30 seconds left in the round, a Fury right floors Wilder. He got up and was unsteady.
Round 4: Wilder didn't see fully from the previous round as Fury battered him around the ring. Fury continued to land jabs and right hands
Round 5: Wilder staggered around the ring. Back in the day, they called it 'sleepwalking around the ring.' Fury drops Deontay with a body shot, Deontay easily beats the count but is on wobbly legs. Tyson losses a point for an infraction later in the round.
Round 6: The pace slowed a bit. Although Wilder still sees dazed and spent, Tyson is cautious and doesn't want to get caught with a desperate Wilder right hand. Fury bullied him this round.

Referee Bayless was heard telling Wilder to ‘show me something’ or else he would stop the fight
Round 7: Fury gets Wilder in the corner and lands two big right hands. Wilder is surviving and trying to fight back; Deontay appears to be in dire straits but no more than the 3 previous rounds. While Wilder is on the ropes with Fury landing, Referee Kenny Bayless jumps in to stop it after Wilder’s corner throws in the towel.
Say what? Deontay Wilder blamed his heavy costume for the defeat on Saturday. The American fighter has also criticised referee Kenny Bayless for not confronting Fury about 'a slew of punches to the back of his head and neck'.

Attendance: MGM Grand Las Vegas was sold out (15, 816). In attendance were Mike Tyson
Super Bowl champion -- and MVP -- Patrick Mahomes and his favorite receiver Travis Kelce, Magic Johnson, and WWE executives and legends Triple H and wife Stephanie McMahon among other celebrities.
Record breaking: Live gate of $16,916,440 for Wilder-Fury 2 broke the Nevada record for a heavyweight fight. Wilder vs Fury 2, as of Feb 23, 2020, is the seventh-highest gate overall in Nevada history.
PPV Buys: 800-850 K (Goal was 1 million)
Third fight? Deontay Wilder Has 30 Days To Exercise Clause For Fury Trilogy

Weighty issues? Fury tipped the scale at 273 lbs while Wilder was 231 lbs; Wilder was 215.5 lbs for the first bout and Fury 256 lbs.
RING Magazine Title
There are rumors Wilder vs Fury 2 will be contested for the prestigious RING Magazine heavyweight title (in addition to Wilder's WBC strap). If it's true, the winner will be the real and legitimate lineal heavyweight champion, joining the bloodline of predecessors such as Jack Dempsey, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson Evander Holyfield and Wladimir Klitschko.
PPVs
According to ESPN, the first meeting, which took place on December 1st, 2018, seemingly underperformed, only generating 325K PPV buys. The Showtime presented replay didn't fare much better, only drawing a surprising 488K viewers on average with a peak audience of 590K.

Because the rematch will be presented by two mainstream sports networks, FOX and ESPN, both promotional parties handling the event, Top Rank Inc. and PBC, are optimistic Wilder vs. Fury 2 will achieve much greater financial success.

Despite Wilder's recent displays of freakish punching power inside the ring, it'll be Fury's antics, charisma and backstory outside the ring that will give Fury vs Wilder 2 its biggest PPV boost.
Advertising
Nine different promos were shown for Fury vs Wilder 2 on FOX on Super Bowl Sunday. The ads are believed to have generated 331 million views.

Who has the edge in the ring?
Although their first encounter was a fun, competitive fight, most seemed to think Fury had done enough to win. He moved and boxed well and had Wilder missing consistently. However, he was floored twice and Wilder needed both knockdowns to earn a draw and retain his title.
Underrated punching power
Consensus tells a brawl favors Wilder while a hit-and-don't-be-hit boxing match would be to Fury's advantage. Even Wilder, himself, recently suggested Fury doesn't have enough punching power to be a knockout threat. But, like a welterweight version of Floyd Mayweather, Fury seems to sacrifice power for speed but can generate decent power when he sits on his shots.

It's easy to call Floyd and Fury feather-fisted until you're in the ring with them, taste their power and subsequently realize walking them down will be no easy task. You're likely to get buzzed from incoming shots before stepping back to re-think your gameplan.

Deontay Wilder - Last 6 fights

Won KO 7 Luis Ortiz
Nov 23, 2019
Wilder vs Ortiz 2

Won KO 1 Dominic Breazeale
May 18, 2019
Highlights

Draw SD 12 Tyson Fury
Dec 1, 2018
Highlights

Won TKO 10 Luis Ortiz
Mar 3, 2018
Highlights

Won KO 1 Bermane Stiverne
Nov 4, 2017
Highlights

Won TKO 5 Gerald Washington
Feb 25, 2017
Highlights
------------

Tyson Fury - Last 6 fights

Won UD 12 Otto Wallin
Sep 14, 2019
Fury vs Wallin

Won TKO 2 Tom Schwarz
Jun 15, 2019
Highlights

Draw 12 Deontay Wilder
Dec 1, 2018
Highlights

Won UD 10 Francesco Pianeta
Aug 18, 2018
Highlights

Won TKO 4 Sefer Seferi
Jun 9, 2018
Highlights

Won UD 12 Wladimir Klitschko
Nov 28, 2015
Highlights

Wilder vs Fury 2 Purses

For the rematch in February, it's rumored the purse split will be 50-50. And should they fight a third time, it's believed (although not confirmed by us) the purse will be split 60/40 for the winner/loser.

Feb 20 Update: Fury vs Wilder purses: Fighters could make over $40 million each," says promoter

Early estimate
Our conservative projection is that both fighters will earn between $13 and $15 Million for the rematch after all of the PPV revenue is dispensed. That would give Deontay an uptick of several million and, perhaps, close to double Fury's purse from the first fight.

We based the increase in revenue on the fighters' enhanced stock since December 2018. Wilder has had two breathtaking one-punch knockouts and he's established himself as one of the hardest punchers in heavyweight championship history. And Fury, on the other hand, has become a mainstream celebrity of sorts, appearing in WWE and in numerous mainstream publications and interviews. Moreover, he had an awesome and entertaining showcase against Tom Schwarz in June.

Feb 20 Update: Fury vs Wilder purses: Fighters could make over $40 million each," says promoter

If more people in the U.S. were familiar with Wilder and Fury, the rematch would easily eclipse 2 million buys in the States alone. However, given the first fight only generated 325,000 buys and Wilder's title defense against Ortiz last month seemingly produced between 140K and 240K buys in the U.S., 2 million purchases (even in the US and UK combined) for Wilder vs Fury 2 is wishful thinking. However, we surmise revenue for the rematch will surpass the income generated in their first bout.

For their first bout in December 2018, Wilder had a guaranteed base purse of $4 million and Fury took home a guaranteed purse of $3 million. That fight generated 325,000 PPV buys in the United States at $74.99 and 420,000 in the United Kingdom so it's likely both fighters got a purse boost after receiving their percentages from pay-per-view revenue.

Stipulation: If the fight had generated 1 million PPV buys, Wilder would have maximized his income at $14 million (£11 million) while Fury would have garnered around $10.25 million (£8 million).

Although the event was a box office success, it fell short of 1 million buys. That fight generated 325,000 PPV buys in the United State at $74.99 and 420,000 in the United Kingdom. However, it's likely both fighters got a purse boost after receiving their percentages from pay-per-view revenue.

We speculate Wilder received $9-$12 Million and Fury $6.75-8.75 Million.

Feb 20 Update: Fury vs Wilder purses: Fighters could make over $40 million each," says promoter

Big Questions / Key TakeawaysBig Questions / Key Takeaways

Fury vs Wilder 2: Questions and Takeaways

Takeaways

Fury is definitely for real and has come all the way back from his 2 1/2 year hiatus. He's the man in the heavyweight division despite the fact Anthony Joshua owns 3 of the 4 sanctioning body belts
And as we expected, Fury was even better in the rematch
Wilder's all-around skills, which have been in question for the last 2 years, are more in question now. Maybe assert he's made it this far because of his athleticism and wicked right hand power.
Fury dominated the fight as Wilder was not his usual self from Round 3 onward
Tyson scored 2 knockdowns and showed he has the power to hurt Wilder.

Pre-Fight Questions

Can Wilder make the adjustments to overcome a) Fury's telephone-pole jab b) right hand from long range and c) combination of overall size and agility (more specifically, Fury's head and foot movement)?
In Fury vs Wilder 1, Deontay missed all night with his big right hand, arguably the most dangerous weapon in the sport. Moreover, Deontay abandoned the jab minutes into the bout and seemed to have no Plan B.

Will Fury be motivated for Wilder vs Fury 2?
In their first fight, Tyson had something to prove. He was not only hungry and determined to re-establish himself as a champion following his 3 1/2 year hiatus, he wanted to prove to himself and others he'd come all the back from dark days marked by excessive drug use and depression.

Since his strong stand against Wilder and subsequent entertaining showcase win over Tom Schwarz, Fury's popularity has surged. He's an international mainstream celebrity now and has even partaken in WWE. Will Tyson Fury be as focused and disciplined for the rematch?

How will Fury react if Wilder lands his best shot flush once again?
It's anyone's guess how Tyson picked himself off the canvas in Round 12 of Fury vs Wilder 1. Is Tyson that durable? While Fury knows he's capable of weathering the storm against Wilder, it would be unwise for him to get too brave.

Left Hook Key for Wilder, Not Famous Right Hand?
In boxing, most heavy-handed punchers have power in both fists despite usually having a preference for one punch. If Deontay Wilder and trainer Mark Breland are wise, they've prepared to knockout or sting Fury with big left hooks and not focus so much on the famous right hand that Fury will be prepared for.

The Fury Cut
Tyson suffered a bad cut in Round 2 in his previous fight with Otto Wallin. Will it be an issue in Wilder vs Fury 2?

Fury ankle injury
"Unfortunately, I hurt both ankles in training camp," Fury admitted to Blue Blood Sports TV on Wednesday afternoon. But it's not going to affect me in the fight, because that was at the beginning of camp, and it was an unnecessary accident...but you know, things happen."

Fury made this announcement some 48 hours before the fight. As a result, the betting lines have shifted slightly in favor of Wilder. Will this be a problem for a fella who uses his feet more than the typical heavyweight?

The Onus is still on Fury
Conventional wisdom says there's less room for error for Tyson Fury in this fight. In order to win, he must fight a more perfect fight than Wilder because the latter will be KO threat in every second of every minute of every round.

Patience?
Deontay Wilder is easily one of the hardest punching heavyweight champions in the sport's history. However, there are some opponents he won't be able to KO. Does Wilder have the patience and humility to win on points should that be his best chance to win? Against Luis Ortiz in November 2019, Wilder demonstrated a level of poise and patience we hadn't seen before. Despite losing rounds, he didn't get frustrated or lose his composure.

Why we should expect an ever better Fury in rematch
Given Tyson Fury is back in shape and no seemingly no longer rust worn, we should assume Fury, if still hungry and motivated, will be at least as good as he as in the first fight, and probably better. He'll no longer be coming off two sluggish wins over journeymen.

Wilder vs Fury 2 Predictions and OddsWilder vs Fury 2 Predictions and Odds

Post Fight Quotes

Wilder: "I'm doing good. Things like this happen. The best man won tonight, but my corner threw in the towel and I was ready to go out on my shield. I had a lot of things going on heading into this fight. It is what it is, but I make no excuses tonight."

"I just wish my corner would have let me go out on my shield. I'm a warrior. He had a great performance and we will be back stronger."

"Even the greatest have lost and came back, that is just part of it. You just take it for what it is. I can make no excuses tonight. I had a lot of complications."

'"But we'll come back stronger next time around. This is what big-time boxing is all about, the best must fight the best. I appreciate all the fans that came out and supported the show, and I hope that everyone gets home safely.'"

Fury: “A big shout out to Deontay Wilder. He came here tonight and he manned up. And he really did show the heart of a champion. I hit him with a clean right that dropped him, and he got back up. He is a warrior. He will be back. He will be a champion again. But I will say, the king has returned to the top of the throne!"

Referee Bayless: “I had concerns for Deontay and I asked him if he wanted to continue, and he wanted to continue, because Deontay is a warrior,” Bayless told RingTV.com Sunday morning after the fight. “But I looked in on him after the sixth, because I had concerns about him. He was taking too much punishment. If the corner didn’t stop it, I was very close to stopping it myself.”

Jay Deas, Wilder's chief second: “I’m the head coach of the team, and 99-percent of the time, the head coach of the team is the guy who’s the lead in the corner,” Deas told RingTV.com . “Ours is a little like an American football team. The head coach doesn’t necessarily call the plays. You have an offensive and defensive coordinator.

“We’re a little bit like that. During the (seventh), Mark said something about throwing the towel in. I told him, ‘Don’t do that.’ I didn’t think he should do that. Deontay is the kind of the guy that goes out on his shield. He will tell you straight up — don’t throw the towel in. Then the fight went a little bit longer and I saw the towel go in. I haven’t talked to Mark about it, but we’ll talk about it and figure out what exactly happened.”

Eddie Hearn, Promoter of Anthony Joshua:
Courtesy of Talk Sport

“I’ve already spoken to AJ and he wants to go into this fight next."

“We have to make this fight happen. We will never, ever get the chance for two Brits to fight for an undisputed heavyweight world championship. I promise you we will do everything we can to make this fight. It has to happen.

“We will never get this opportunity in this sport to do this again with two Brits. I’ve already spoken to AJ – he wants to go straight into this fight next. He loves the Tyson fight, he has has zero fear of fighting Tyson Fury. He has been through everything already and he wants to be undisputed and this is the chance for our sport to have one of those legacy moments that we will never get the opportunity to have again.

"I heard out of his camp he was going to be aggressive and go for it and I thought it was absolute madness and it ended up being genius from him and his team. Just a wonderful performance. What a time for British boxing – an incredible night. I felt like he could school him but I didn’t think he could school him and beat him up, and he did that.”

Wilder vs Fury 2 Odds
Update Feb 21
The pendulum has shifted a bit this week. Now, Deontay is a slight betting favorite depending on who you ask. As of Thursday, February 20, bet365, skybet, CORAL, Lodibrokes and BETVICTOR are deadlocked at 10/11 for both fighters.

But, UNIBET and BETDAQ have Wilder as the thin betting favorite at 17/20 and 20/21, respectively, with Fury at 21/20. Also, betfair likes Deontay 20/21 to Tyson's 21/20.

The popular William Hill places Wilder at -125 favorite at William Hill US while Fury is a +100 underdog. For this scenario, a successful $125 wager on Wilder would generate $100 in return while a $100 bet on Fury would double your wager ($200).

The odds of a draw range from 18 to 26-1.

Why the late shift?
Rumors have leaked from Fury's team that suggest he didn't have a good training camp. Also, Fury, within 48-72 hours of the fight, admitted his ankles weren't 100 percent, suggesting he could have been injured in camp or from his stint in WWE.

Previous Odds
As of Nov 27, Wilder was a slight underdog
Wilder +105 (21/20)
Fury -125 (4/5)

Hence, a $100 bet on Wilder would have paid $105, while you would have had to bet $125 on Fury to earn $100. Prior to their first fight, Wilder was listed at a -170 favorite while Fury was a +140 underdog.

Tyson entered their first bout having had just two tune-ups against fringe opposition since his exodus from the sport and didn't appear to be in top form despite dominating both opponents so it was no surprise Wilder was favored, albeit slightly

Perceived Methodology (for Fury being the previous favorite)
Although their first bout in December was ruled a draw, Fury appeared to befuddle and outbox the aggressive Wilder throughout. And despite two Wilder knockdowns of Fury, many believed Tyson did enough to earn the decision.

Many believe Wilder has no answer for Fury's reach and boxing ability from the outside. Moreover, in their December 2018 affair the Brit demonstrated he can take a good shot. And when Wilder had Fury hurt, the latter fought back well.

Secondly, we saw technical brawler Luis Ortiz win at least 10 of 15 combined full rounds against Deontay in their two fights together. Yes, Wilder won by KO both times but appeared to be getting outboxed in each situation by the slower, less rangy Ortiz.

Wilder vs Fury 2 Predictions

(More Wilder vs Fury 2 Expert Predictions)

Expert: Thomas Hearns - Wilder by decision
Former 4 Division Champion / Boxing Legend
Courtesy of BoxingNews24

The Hitman, whose style was like a 80s and 90s version of a small Deontay Wilder likes the WBC Champ.

“Deontay Wilder can box and win, but I think that his power will be the difference in defeating Tyson Fury. I believe that it will go to a decision again, but with Deontay Wilder winning it.”

Larry Holmes - Wilder by KO, 7 or 8
Former Heavyweight Champion / Boxing Legend
Courtesy of BoxingNews24

“Deontay Wilder will knock out Tyson Fury in the seventh or eighth round if he does what I know that he can do, which is stay on the outside, use his jab, throw that right hand over the jab.”

Oleksandr Usyk - Fury
Former Lineal Cruiserweight Champion / Top 10 Pound for Pound Fighter / Top 10 Heavyweight
Courtesy of Ren TV

Usyk picked Fury previously and is even more assertive this time around. He seems to suggest he was impressed by Fury's performance in December 2018 and believes Fury will ride his skills, notably his footwork and upper body movement, to at least a points win.

“I preferred Tyson Fury in the first fight.In the second, I will probably be more inclined towards him."
“He has much more skills than Wilder. But Wilder is such an unpredictable guy who can hit at any moment.”

Anthony Joshua - Fury
WBA/IBF/WBO Heavyweight Champion, Potential Wilder and/or Fury opponent
Courtesy Pep Talk UK

“I think that he came close the first time to the point of a draw, it wasn’t like a 12-round masterclass then got battered in the 12th and that just separated it.

“It was a draw, it was that close. So I just think Tyson Fury is going to correct his wrongs and come back and win.”

David Haye - Wilder
Former Cruiserweight Champion / Legend; Former WBA Heavyweight Champion
Courtesy of BT Sport

“Fury boxed brilliantly first time around, that was with Ben Davison in his corner. He doesn’t have Ben in the corner this time.

“In his last fight, he got a couple of horrendous cuts over his eye. That could open up again, which would mean he’d have the same fight with one eye.

“Trying to beat Deontay Wilder with two eyes is tough enough.

“The fact that I’m hearing he’s putting on additional weight, which may slow his mobility down, his speed and reflexes down, I have to go with Deontay Wilder by stoppage.”

Wladimir Klitschko, former heavyweight champion / legend
Courtesy of BoxingScene
"Either Wilder is going to knock out Fury or Fury is going to win on points...."

“I think, or I wish, that actually Fury, believe it or not, might make it. Maybe not, but I wish he’s going to. And then there’s supposed to be a rematch between Fury and me. Am I announcing now a comeback? No I’m not. Mark my words, I’m not announcing a rematch.

“But it could possibly be a good mix when, all of a sudden, Fury is going to win and a lot of different doors are going to open and excitement and things like that. But as I said, Wilder is going to win by knockout or Fury could win on points.”

Teddy Atlas, famed trainer and commentator - Wilder by KO
Courtesy of The Fight

"You can win all the rounds with Wilder, you can box better, but his opponent always reminds me a guy who fells from the observation deck of the Empire State Building. Falling, he passes the fiftieth floor and asks people looking in the window: "How am I?". People shout: "Now you're alright, man!" This is how going on in the fight with Wilder. Everything is going well, but you are falling from a skyscraper, and a land is getting closer. Therefore it is better to look for the parachute before a tragedy happens," said Atlas.

"The problem of Fury is also in the fact that he can not do in the ring more than he did in the first fight. Wilder can fight better than the first time, he has more room for improvement," said Atlas.

Bernard Hopkins, Fight Legend - Wilder by KO
Courtesy of SecondsOut

"When you look at Fury, where is the credit... other than showing the ability and heart not to get discouraged and barely beating the count... It's a victory for Fury that he survived and Wilder slacked up in the later championship rounds."

"TAKE THAT AWAY [and] Wilder was winning the fight pretty easily to me!"

"What can happen the second fight after knowing you've [already] been in there with a guy.... It'll be one-sided. It'll be very calculated."

Lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez outlines winning strategy for the Bronze Bomber:

"Deontay Wilder is a strong fighter, but we've all seen the flaws that he had in the first fight," Teofimo explained during an interview with FightHub TV. "Deontay has a beautiful one-two...strongest one-two in the game, literally. But if he can't hit you, it doesn't matter."

"Wilder has to commit more. Wilder can't think so much, and he can't be so stiff when he's throwing his punches. But that's how Wilder is when he throws his one-two's. He needs to be more relaxed and not throw the same looping shots over and over. If you throw the same shots at Tyson Fury, he'll figure out your timing and rhythm and make you miss. That's what Tyson Fury was doing in the first fight...over and over."

"Tyson Fury is really good at controlling range. Wilder has to mix up his punches better and go to the body more frequently. The only way you close that distance is to go the body first and work your way up. They're both tall. So you can go for the body. It's much harder when fighting a smaller fighter, but they're both tall."

"That's what he has to change. He has to touch the body more and use his jab. Wilder has a strong, fast jab. Instead of throwing straight loops to the head all of the time, mix it up...go to the body. Tyson is always moving his head, but that body is still there and you can touch it. Don't come out headhunting."

Joseph Herron, FightSaga writer: (Recent) History tells us that fighters who believe they rightfully won a controversial first meeting in an elite level match-up, go on to decisively lose the return bout

Let's examine the first bout between Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev as well as the first match-up between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin as examples.

... So although Fury genuinely believes he deserved to receive a unanimous decision victory over Deontay Wilder in their first meeting, his attitude heading into the return bout is uncomplacent. Tyson is truly convinced that he is incapable of receiving a decision victory, even though he genuinely feels he outboxed his opponent for ten of the twelve rounds in their first match.

Will a changed strategy prove to be to his advantage of February 22nd?

Perhaps.

(More Wilder vs Fury 2 Expert Predictions)

Wilder vs Fury 2 Promoters for Fight EventWilder vs Fury 2 Promoters for Fight Event

Promoter | Leon Margules (Warriors Boxing), Bob Arum (Top Rank), Tom Brown (TGB Promotions)
Matchmaker | Tom Brown, Brad Goodman
TV: ESPN PPV (US); FOX PPV (US); BT Sport PPV (UK)
Broadcast team: The PPV was largely produced by ESPN staff, and was called by Lennox Lewis and Andre Ward, joined by ESPN's Joe Tessitore at ringside. Timothy Bradley (Fox), Max Kellerman (ESPN), Brian Kenny (Fox), and Shawn Porter (Fox) served as analysts.
Fury vs Wilder 2 Time
Order Wilder-Fury II on ESPN+ PPV now