Tyson Fury and trainer are taunting Deontay Wilder with their plans for an early knockout
BBN ask their trusted panel of experts if Tyson Fury go for the knockout against Deontay Wilder? 'The Gypsy King' said he was going for it in the second round of their rematch, whi was approved by new trainer Sugar Hill Steward, who agreed wih the audacious game plan.
Go for the KO or play the long game? Here's what the experts had to say:
Ace Adam
Unbeaten middleweight
“Them trying to knock out Wilder early, I think, is crazy and my reason being is that Wilder is someone that you really shouldn’t be trading shots with because you are gonna get caught with that right hand.
For them to apply pressure early is a good strategy, but also it comes at a cost because you are gonna get caught with that right hand at some point.
The way he dealt with the first fight by sticking and moving and using his natural movement is the best way to beat Wilder, because he evidently won the first fight with his movement and by sticking to the game plan of sticking and moving but then on the flip side Wilder could learn more and could be more patient, he knows his not the best technical fighter, but what he’s gifted with is athletiscm and phenomenal power and he could get Tyson Fury out of there.
It’s a 50-50 fight, if it comes to pure boxing then it’s Tyson Fury but via knockout I’d go with Wilder, by the ninth or 10th round, but if he can land that shot then Fury wins.”
Tony Tolj
Boxing manager
“Tyson Fury is the better boxer, Wilder is the puncher – these are the facts.
I believe Fury wins on points or Wilder wins by KO.
It will be a hell of a fight and I always pick Wilder, but Fury will outbox him.”
George Lacey
ITV Sport Digital Sports Reporter
“Fury’s said he’s had enough of dancing around the ring and wants a knockout finish.
However, he’s said that in front of the knockout artist and if he genuinely plans to stand and trade with Deontay Wilder, it’ll be lights out for Fury. He came so close to grabbing the world titles from Wilder last time that it would foolish to adopt an otherwise untested game plan against a very dangerous man in Wilder.
If he sticks to his boxing, we all know Tyson has another shot but to announce that he fancies a shootout is barking mad.
You’d think it’s just mind games but with a change of trainer, it makes you wonder if Fury really is ready to leave it all on the line.”
Ryan Walsh
British featherweight champion
"All mind games with a possible twist, I suspect he will try and put one on him early, but he’d be crazy to try trading with Wilder.
He should and will use his better boxing skills. It’s very similar to Wilder's last rematch, he can always be outboxed, but at the same time he can adnd nearly always finishes the opposition.
Fury has pulled off two cracking upset underdog wins and I wouldn’t back against the hat-trick."
Mick Kane
Boxing Writer
“I would be surprised if Fury was to get any knockout, never mind an early knockout over Wilder.
I think Fury has a great chance of winning, however this would be on points. Fury has never had explosive knockout power and a change of coach is unlikely to introduce this unseen power all of a sudden.”
Jordan Bright
BBN Writer
“I believe Fury can get the knockout if he lands heavy punches in rounds four and above. Wilder tends to land his big punches early on in rounds 2-4 and then finds a finish later on in his final 3-4 rounds. This showed against Breazeale and Ortiz.
Fury is fighter who can play the long game with Wilder and as the American might begin to tire, Fury can capitalise and land stronger punches when Wilder hasn’t got his hands up. Nevertheless, the ‘Gypsy King’ must be cautious of Wilder’s power, which was evident for everyone to witness in the first fight.”
Paul Stevenson
Head Coach, Everton Red Triangle
"Fury is a big man and could certainly knock out anyone he caught flush, but will he KO Wilder? Wilder has a good chin and Fury isn’t a known puncher. The key to a Fury KO would appear to be in accuracy and consistency rather than a one-punch finish.
To be honest, I’d be surprised if he engaged Wilder much all night long.
He’s a very good boxer, tall, rangy, facing the most dangerous puncher in boxing. I doubt many cornermen would advise that he went out looking for the champion.
I think talk of going for an early KO is just gamesmanship on Fury’s part, most likely his strategy will be to box and move and hope to come on late as he was doing in the first fight."
Tim Rickson
Sports Agent
“It’s the classic boxer versus puncher match-up. Tyson is technically brilliant and Wilder has incredible power that often gets him out of trouble.
I’m no boxing coach, but I have the same mindset as Sugar Hill Steward – go for the knockout! I would never teach a football team to park a bus and block their own goal for 90 minutes because it’s negative and doesn’t inspire confidence. The same way that I would never tell Millwall to go to Old Trafford and just hope for a draw. How does that motivate your players? Go out and win, give it everything you’ve got. If you play your heart out and lose 5-0 but you left everything on that field then that, to me, is better than losing 1-0 in a very one-sided game where you didn’t even get past your own halfway line. I bet Leicester's team talks during the season they won the Premier League never mentioned holding out for a draw. They went into every game against every team with the attitude to attack and win. And they did win.
The same applies for boxing – go out there in that ring with the mindset that you are going to destroy your opponent. As a trainer, would you really want your fighter to plan to go the 12-round distance with a puncher that has 41 KOs from 43 fights and already knocked your man down twice? I wouldn’t have that as a game plan, why go 36 minutes with a proven puncher, one that has hurt you before and almost finished you?
Fury can outbox him for 12 rounds, but he will get caught during that time, and the longer it goes on, the more he’ll get caught. If Wilder’s landing six shots per round, would you rather take around a dozen shots from Wilder over two rounds or 71, which is how many he landed in the first fight? Every round will bring another half a dozen hard hits to the head, so aim to finish that fight early and avoid the danger. Obviously, I am aware that Tyson, unlike his namesake, is not a one-punch KO artist, so he won't be blasting Wilder out of there early, in my view. It'll likely take a few rounds, but if it comes, go for the kill!
I think Tyson should do what he did in the first fight, but with more aggression and spite. Be awkward, be fluid, be busy; outbox, confuse and frustrate Wilder, but definitely go for the knockout!”
Kieran Gething
Welsh Area champion
"I do definitely think Fury can KO Wilder. Any of those big guys can, and Fury has enough speed to do it if he times it right, but that doesn’t mean I think it’s the best option. I think if he’s determined to do that then there’s one outcome. One of them will be KO'd, but I think the most likely way of Fury winning is to box just like last time and stay on his feet as long as possible!"
Jack Bradley
BBN Writer
“Fury has the power to stop Wilder, absolutely. Whether he does or not though is a completely different question.
The style to beat Wilder is probably more suited to fighters who will basically sit on his chest, work the body to try and take some of his wind and speed away and keep the fight at a distance where you’re constantly in his face and he can’t get the leverage on those huge punches he throws. That said, Fury provided a different kind of blueprint in their last fight by boxing smartly at range and tying him up whenever he got too close. It nearly worked too – and in my mind, he did more than enough to win that fight irrespective of the knockdowns, but the end result read differently.
Fury had a tough 12 rounds with Otto Wallin in September that should have sharpened him up a bit, as that was by far his toughest fight (other than Wilder) since his June 2018 comeback. As such, he’ll probably feel more comfortable boxing a similar style to the first fight, and if so he won’t be sitting on his shots enough to take Wilder out.”
Ryan Clark
Co-Founder of buymyfight.com
“The fact they’ve come out to say what their game plan is just makes me think it’ll be the complete opposite. They’ll go to draw Wilder into a scrap, swinging windmills and tiring him out, to inevitably box Wilder and win on points.
Fury is clearly the better boxer yet he’s never struck me as a big puncher – maybe because he’s always boxed to get the win. Maybe he’s never really had to take risks? Any heavyweight surely packs enough punch for a KO in reality.
However, the winning on points plan didn’t work last time and you cannot question Wilder's heavy hands getting him out of trouble at any given moment, so for that reason I’d half agree with the declared plan.
Personally, I’d box for 5-6 rounds. I’d wait until he’s comfortable with the pace and feels no danger before completely changing the game plan with a view of the KO, catching him by surprise in the mid-rounds.”
Sergio Michel
American guitarist & boxing superfan
"Fury is more than capable of knocking out Wilder.
A man that can keep another man away for 12 rounds is certainly capable of stepping on the gas and putting him away. Also, Wilder has shown signs of being out on his feet and fighting through the buzz; so, it's not out of reach to say Wilder can be TKO'd in such a scenario if he's overwhelmed by volume."
Ben Day
Southern Area champion
"I can’t see Fury knocking out Wilder at all, no chance.
If Fury sits on his shots, I think that he won’t have the movement he’s so good at, but I do hope he outboxes him and stays away from his right hand.
Fury has personally been a huge inspiration for me – when he got up, so did I."
Daniel Smith
BBN Writer
"Tyson Fury is a 6ft 9", 18 stoned pugilist whose strategical dismantling of an opponent is that of a gradual and punishing boxing lesson.
Fury is vast, awkward to suss out, as slippery as a conger eel, and – he can bang. However, Tyson – for his sheer size, weight and power – is not a "banger" per se. And, although on a few occassions he certainy rocked the bearings from Deontay Wilder's senses and skinny legs during their first encounter at the Staples Center, Los Angeles in December 2018 – I don't believe the lineal champion carries enough dynamite in his leather to chin his man with just one, sole punch.
Wilder has got a granite chin and we all know his right hand is a devastating equalizer; just ask forty-one of his forty-two opponents.
In this next chapter, I see it being a Fury points win or another draw!!"
Chris Glover
Unbeaten professional boxer
"Yes I think Fury will be improved in this next fight and the Kronk style will make him more disciplined inside the ring.
Having that structure in camp is important and I believe he’ll have that more so with Sugar Hill Steward.
My prediction is Fury late stoppage."
Steve Wood
Promoter
"Not buying into that, as I believe the more Tyson forces the fight, the more likely it is he can get caught and he is too clever for that. Tyson will be going for a points win."