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Reigning WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KO) will try to lock down his 11th-straight title defense tomorrow night (Sat., Feb. 22, 2020) live on ESPN+ PPV from inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, when he squares off with towering English sensation Tyson Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs) in a crucial heavyweight rematch that has the entire sports world watching.
Wilder, who has never been defeated in 43 professional fights spanning the course of 12 years, fought Fury back in 2018 in what turned out to be one of the most memorable heavyweight boxing affairs in recent memory. While Fury was the one who landed the more precise shots throughout the 12-round title fight it was “Bronze Bomber” who scored a massive knockdown in the final minutes of action. Wilder laid Fury out with a vicious combination that would have ended any heavyweight in the world, but “Gypsy King” rose back to his feet like The Undertaker did against Yokozuna so many years ago and eventually scored a split draw.
With more than a year to prepare for the rematch and study Fury’s game top to bottom, Wilder’s long-time trainer, Jay Deas, believes his star pupil will finally put an end to the Englishman this weekend in Las Vegas.
“Deontay knows what to expect this time around,” Deas told Sky Sports. “I think he does the job quick and emphatic.
”A lot is being made of the improvements that can be made by Tyson Fury, but Deontay has also shown me a lot more since that night and I don’t believe he showed everything he’s capable of.”
Wilder, who is coming off massive knockout victory over Luis Ortiz this past November, is widely regarded as the best knockout finisher in all of boxing. The 34-year-old veteran has stopped every single fighter he has ever encountered outside of Fury and a 2015 decision win over Bermane Stiverne. For the most part, Wilder has been able to break down his opponents come fight time and find an opening for his patented power shots.
“Deontay sets his opponents up and he works himself into a position where he can get his power shots off,” explained Deas. “His two fights last year were prime examples of him taking a look at his opponent and biding his time before unleashing that right hand.
“There will be an opportunity for Deontay to take him out and as you’ve seen with all his opponents in the past, he’ll take it.”
What say you, Maniacs? Will Wilder find a way to finish Fury early?
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MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of the Wilder-Fury main event this weekend, which caps off a four-fight ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) event that starts at 9 p.m. ET.