UFC has been hogging the headlines in the world of sport in recent times, certainly in the last few weeks where the Khabib/McGregor pre and post-match news has been everywhere, from social media to endless coverage on our television screens.
Boxing is having its time now, though, with Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder going toe-to-toe on December 1st at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for what many believe is a meeting between the two best heavyweight boxers around, albeit with many also rating Anthony Joshua too. This fight, though, could set up an even bigger contest between the winner of it and Joshua – a potentially record breaking, mega fight.
As was the case with Conor McGregor’s return to the Octagon which, as we all know, ended in defeat, Tyson Fury is also on the comeback trail after facing various issues outside of the ring and conquering his demons in the process. Love him or hate him, any fighter deserves respect if they can use the sport to turn their fortunes around and overcome any obstacles such as mental health – an issue Fury himself has suffered from and covered in great detail in the build-up to this fight.
Fury, much like McGregor, is an entertainer and his quirky personality spices up a division that so desperately lacks characters. Much like ‘The Notorious Mystic Mac’, Fury has a way with words and is the master of getting underneath his opponents’ skin. His opponent, Wilder, has been on the receiving end of some of Fury’s cutting words and the mind games he loves to play with any opponent he faces. Fury’s not short on confidence despite being a tad ring rusty, put it that way. ‘The Gypsy King’ is oozing confidence and has won the fight already, certainly mentally, judging by his comments.
In Deontay Wilder, though, Fury is facing a dangerous power puncher who is unorthodox but hugely effective with his wild swinging punches. The complete opposite to Fury in terms of style, Wilder will simply come out swinging and look to land that killer knockout punch. He’s certainly a knockout king, but he hasn’t really fought a fighter of Fury’s calibre and skillset before.
Fury, a strong believer in the ‘sweet science of boxing’ is stylish, has excellent footwork and is incredibly difficult to hit. He’s a giant of a man, which makes the lightness he has on his feet all the more impressive. Similar to Khabib and McGregor, it’s a power puncher (McGregor) versus a more skilled all-round technician (Khabib).
Currently, Wilder is the favourite to win the fight with odds of 8/13 (bet365) on offer, but there’s a lot of options out there, including a Fury vs Wilder betting guide, for a fight that could really go either way. Perhaps a draw at 25/1 is worth a punt.
(Image via https://twitter.com/RyanChanner97)
Fury, though, has a point to prove now he’s back on the world stage and although he’s rated as the slight underdog, he certainly won’t mind. He is the lineal heavyweight champion, a feat which makes him more than capable of shocking the American crowd who will surely favour Wilder in his homeland. Odds on Fury to get the Decision or Technical Decision certainly represent excellent value at 11/5 (bet365) but a TKO, KO or Disqualification at 6/1 perhaps represents even better value for a fighter who will surely look to evade Wilder’s power punches, wear him down and allow his superior boxing skills to capitalise from there.
