By: Hans Themistode
This Saturday night on October 9th, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wilder’s long and arduous road will come to an end. The hard-hitting former heavyweight titlist will face off against Tyson Fury for the third time in his career.
After holding his WBC heavyweight title for half a decade, the Alabama native saw his championship reign come to an end on February 22nd, 2020. On the night, Wilder confidently strolled to the ring at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada to take on Fury.
Oddsmakers were left dumbfounded as Fury went on to not only beat Wilder but dismantle him, dropping the former titlist several times over before ultimately stopping him in the seventh round.
The win for Fury not only netted him Wilder’s WBC title but it’s also led to a consensus thought that the British product is the best heavyweight in the world. That notion, however, is laughable to Wilder. Having shared the ring with Fury on two separate occasions, Wilder believes that the perception surrounding Fury is all smoke and mirrors.
“He ain’t that good,” said Wilder to himself during a training session. “He ain’t what people think.”
In the coming months since his defeat, Wilder has released several training videos depicting himself working on his craft with new head trainer Malik Scott. While Wilder has built his name and reputation on his one-punch knockout power, Scott has revealed that they want to take a more methodical approach to their rematch.
On December 1st, 2018, both Wilder and Fury met for the first time in the ring. Although Fury had the clear edge in the boxing department during their showdown, Wilder evened the score by registering two knockdowns on the night. In the end, the pair were forced to settle for a split decision draw.
As previously mentioned, Fury took part two completely out of the hands of the judges. The 33-year-old pounded Wilder from the opening bell and left him with several injuries as a result. Wilder revealed that he not only suffered a busted eardrum but also numerous other ailments as well. All of which has led him to believe that Fury wasn’t playing fair during their second showdown.
“I highly believe you put something hard in your gloves,” said Wilder during a self-recorded video several months ago. “Something the size and the shape of an egg weight, that’s the reason why the side of my face swelled up in an egg weight form. And it left a dent in my face.”
Ultimately, Fury was vindicated of Wilder’s accusations. Despite being absolved of any wrongdoing, Wilder simply isn’t willing to accept that his long-time rival didn’t bend the rules to beat him.
“He a f*cking cheater.”
