TSS Writers Smoke Out the Winner of the Wilder-Fury Fight

We surveyed members of our writing community to get their predictions on Saturday’s big fight between undefeated heavyweights Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury. Consistent with the odds (at last glance Wilder was a consensus 17/10 favorite), the tilt was toward Wilder but the Brit had his supporters.

Comic book cover artist ROB AYALA, whose specialty is combat sports, provided the graphic. Check out more of Rob Ayala’s illustrations at his web site fight posium. The correspondents are listed alphabetically.

MATT ANDRZEJEWSKI — Fury is an exceptionally skilled boxer who is very slick inside the ring. He will use constant movement with a well timed precision jab to keep Wilder off balance and frustrated. Fury is also a master of closing distance and a better infighter than he is given credit. He will smother Wilder’s power while on the inside and lean on the smaller Wilder wearing him down. Wilder’s one shot is to catch Fury clean but Fury is not easy to hit clean and for all the above reasons I see Fury winning by unanimous decision.

RICK ASSAD — Wilder is one of the hardest hitters in the sport today. He will use his overwhelming power and hand speed to halt his British opponent late in the bout. This knockout victory will catapult him to true superstar status.

BERNARD FERNANDEZ — My initial inclination was to pick Deontay Wilder by mid- to late-round knockout. That might have owed to wishful thinking on my part, Wilder being an American, a huge puncher and the guy most fight fans (well those of us in the U.S., anyway) want to see paired up with Anthony Joshua for all the titles. But then I remembered that hoary axiom that styles make fights, and I began to have a nagging suspicion that Fury’s odd ring style might be all wrong for the “Bronze Bomber.” Eliminating personal feelings from the equation, I’m reluctantly calling it Tyson Fury on points, which, if that turns out to be the case, should mightily please folks on the other side of the pond.

JEFFREY FREEMAN — I predict Tyson Fury will steal a decision from Deontay Wilder to become the new WBC heavyweight champion. That doesn’t mean the official judges will be wrong when they add up their scores though. It means only that while Wilder looks for a wild knockout, Fury slowly tames his quarry with hypnotic boxing. In the end, Fury’s patient strategy takes the fire out of Wilder. Fans complain about another boring Tyson Fury “fight” but the better man will have won. Get ready for Joshua-Fury, the biggest bout in boxing.

THOMAS HAUSER — Wilder by knockout. Fury might outbox Deontay for a while. But after abusing his body for years, Tyson won’t be in condition to go twelve rounds. And he doesn’t have the power to knock Wilder out.

ARNE LANG – To me this is a no-brainer. Wilder has quicker reflexes and he has one-punch fight altering power, something that Fury lacks. If the Brit had a fearsome left hook that would give me pause — a fearsome left hook is the equalizer when one’s opponent has substantially more checks on the handicapping checklist (think Tommy Morrison vs. Razor Ruddock) – but Fury fights from an orthodox stance and there’s no evidence that he has this weapon in his repertoire. I don’t envision the fight lasting more than eight rounds.

KELSEY McCARSON — I’ve gone back and forth in my mind about this fight since it was announced. Fury is a fantastic boxer. He’s outstanding at disrupting his opponent’s offense and he has exceptionally fast hands for a man his size. But Wilder is a freak athlete that is so very difficult to game plan against that I really think Wilder ends up winning. Fury will probably make Wilder look bad at times, but somewhere in the middle of the fight both big men will tire and it will make Fury just hittable enough for Wilder to start landing. Wilder doesn’t get the stoppage but nabs the best win of his career by UD.

MATT McGRAIN — In making a pick here I’m reminded of Sam Peter-Vitali Klitschko, not stylistically but circumstantially. The fighter making the comeback – in that case Vitali, in this case Fury – would be a prohibitive favourite for me in a confrontation where both fighters were at their very best. Making the pick, for me, is a matter of adjudging how much Fury has left after his spell of inactivity and self abuse. If he’s at 95% he should win at a canter, coupling size and stylistic advantages to clearly out-box his crude but dangerous opponent. If he’s at 70%, Wilder is going to enjoy himself. And so on.

There’s no way to know, for sure, what Fury will bring to the championship ring. He hasn’t looked good enough to beat Wilder in his two stumbling comeback fights but Fury always – always – boxed to something like his opponent’s level. On balance, though, I think he loses. 150lbs and a healthy cocaine and alcohol habit are anathema to long term excellence. Wilder to knock out a gassing Fury late.

SEAN NAM — Although the dexterous, shifty Fury bamboozled his way past dangerous Wladimir Klitschko, he accomplished that feat in 2015 when he was still in his prime. Fury’s return this year — two exhibition-worthy tune-up fights — revealed a man who had to pay dearly for the two years spent in debauchery. Rarely do fighters get away with such a profligate lifestyle without repercussions. Trying to avoid Wilder’s fearsome right is like walking on the bike lane on 5th Avenue during rush hour; at some point, you’ll get hit. As difficult a task it may be for Wilder to find an opening for his thundering right, one imagines it will be an even tougher assignment for Fury to avoid it.

TED SARES — Wilder’s many flaws are his greatest assets. Fury will be somewhat confused by them and will also have stamina issues. His loss of weight reminds me a bit of Roy Jones coming back from the Ruiz fight. If Cunningham can deck him, Wilder can sedate him. This all said, I see Wilder catching Fury with a wild right that will concuss The Traveler and end the fight. Wilder by stoppage.

PHIL WOOLEVER — While the primed Fury whose movement befuddled Klitschko may have been capable of doing the same against Wilder, this year’s model will be fortunate and unlikely to make it through 12 rounds. Credit Fury for facing Wilder at this point, but after 2 1/2 years off and limited rust-removing opposition, it’s too much too soon for the Traveler’s comeback.

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