Breland did nothing wrong, and he may have preserved the possibility of a rematch by ending the fight before Wilder could take career- or life-threatening damage, but if turning Breland into a fall guy is what Wilder must do to enter a third fight confident in his ability to win, then fair has nothing to do with it. Is this the correct call?īartholomew: It may be unfair to Breland, whose decision to stop the fight has been widely praised by boxing figures from Andre Ward to Teddy Atlas, but if Wilder has any chance of avenging Saturday’s loss, he will need to do whatever it takes to recover his confidence. Wilder said assistant trainer Mark Breland, who threw in the towel, may not return. If Wilder wants to win a trilogy match, he should let his powerful right hand go early and often and hope one of his Hail Mary blows lands in a way that turns the tide in his favor. … He’s so far away from being able to compete equally in the rematch, let alone win it, that I would say that even him being able to compete equally in the rematch would be as big a turnaround as what Tyson’s just done.” “Tyson’s got the size, the reach, the weight, the skillset, the mentality, the boxing knowhow - everything to deal with what (Wilder) is as a fighter. Can he find a way to better disguise his best weapon? After two fights, there will be little the other man hasn’t seen.īartholomew: Let’s defer to trainer Adam Booth, who reviewed Wilder-Fury 2 with UK boxing journalist Tris Dixon, and who said that if Wilder were to come back victorious in a third fight, it would be an achievement on par with Fury adopting new trainers and a new style to beat Wilder last weekend: Unlike the first meeting, Fury didn’t budge. He was bullied along the ropes and landed a single punch of consequence, a right hand in the opening round. The Brit used all of his 273 pounds in the clinch to sap Wilder of his energy, mauling him with brutal punches over seven rounds. It wouldn’t hurt to give serious attention to his defensive maneuvering as well.Ĭoppinger: How to contend with Fury’s size on the inside. That will allow him to ensure he can maintain some needed elusiveness while pursuing the punches that served him so well in their first bout. Pugmire: Whether it was the added weight of his costume or the additional pounds gained by being forced to deal with a 6-foot-9, 273-pound opponent, Wilder needs to incorporate the highest-regarded conditioning coach. What is the biggest adjustment he’ll have to make in the third fight? If Wilder can address his leg problems and refine his fight plan, he will have a chance to achieve the redemptive triumph he seeks. With the guarantee of a lucrative purse, the alpha male Wilder is not shirking from his identity and the self-confidence that made him a world champion who stood for five years. That pride may suffer like never before if Wilder loses the third fight between him and Fury, but it’s no surprise he’s willing to risk it in order to gain it all back. In addition to that, he came into Saturday’s bout an undefeated fighter in 42 pro contests, and any boxer accustomed to winning so much must have an excess of pride. In all likelihood, Wilder can earn more money by rematching Fury later this year - even with a 60-40 purse split in Fury’s favor - than he could by rebuilding and fighting lesser opponents. He can find solace in the fact his destructive right hand produced two knockdowns of Fury 14 months ago.īesides, where else is Wilder going to earn tens of millions of dollars? Wilder needs a victory over Fury to regain his stature - and elevate himself even further - and the sooner he does so, the better.īartholomew: No. And if anyone can maintain supreme confidence in the wake of a seemingly soul-crushing defeat, it’s the man with 10 consecutive title defenses until his reign ended Saturday. Wilder didn’t get this far without being a fierce competitor. Are you surprised Wilder is exercising his rematch clause for a trilogy with Fury?Ĭoppinger: Not one bit.
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