Be humble in victory and GRACIOUS in defeat.
Time has passed since the FURY vs. WILDER bouts, but it seems the wounds have not entirely healed yet...
It's taken years for us to see the Heavyweight division brought to where it should be. For years the heavyweight scene was chugging along, devoid of any excitement and character. The journeys of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua,and Deontay Wilder, although different, have led them to the point where they are clambering for the top spot.
When Wilder vs. Joshua hit a stumbling block, Fury put his name forward to fight, which came with reservations from his team close to him as he'd been out of the game for so long. Fury's ability and confidence were unwavering, and he secured the fight and took it to Wilder, who was known as one of the most devastating punchers the division has ever seen.
Controversy surrounded the first fight as it went down as a draw, both fighters feeling they did enough to win, Wilder, through the knockdowns and Fury through his in-ring work boxing at an elite level.
Fury vs Wilder #2, was explosive from the first bell with Tyson on the front foot taking it to Deontay. The Gypsy King told us all pre fight what he'd do, but no one believed him. He took that KRONK style and applied it to The Bronze Bomber, who struggled to keep up with Fury. A lot has been made of Tyson Fury's punching power but this was put to bed in this fight. That aggressive, positive way of fighting, straight out of the KRONK gym, worked wonders for FURY as he picked apart Wilder, who struggled to box on the back foot. The added weight of Fury helped as he leaned on him when he had to. The fight ended with the Wilder Corner throwing in the towel. Wilder was outboxed, outworked, and was getting mauled by Fury, who had his number on top of all that.
None of this seems like new fight news, but unfortunately it has all been dragged back up by a recent video released by Deontay Wilder.
Wilder claims many things from Fury's glove positioning, to disloyal trainers, to egg weights in the glove. Perhaps the real inquest should be into Wilder's management team and how this was released in the first place?
Gone are the days where tampering with gloves was a thing, and fighters would have an unnecessary advantage and subsequently do a lot of additional damage through cheating. Pre-fight regulations and checks have become so much tighter that it would be impossible for this to happen. Officials with each fighter stand in the changing room's watching the taping and gloves going on before signing them off. They're thoroughly checked visually and physically before the ring walk even begins.
How Fury throws his jab seems to be a point Wilder wanted to illude to in regards to the marks left on his face. Tyson Fury effectively throws his jab in numerous ways and frozen images of a particular shot can make things look suspicious, when in real time there was no problem at all. Most fighters throw that stiff jab out, whereas Fury mixes it up, flicking it, throwing it from the hip, or even leaving that long jab out for fighters to walk onto.
Mark Brelan, former Olympian and world champ, is the person you'd want in your corner. The appointment of Brelan to the Wilder team was wildly regarded as a great piece of business. After throwing in the towel to save his fighter who was getting taken apart, the general opinion was that Brelan did the right thing. The post-fight reaction from Wilder was one of confusion and anger at his cornerman. Brelan was let go from the Wilder team and since then, The Bronze Bomber has added Mark Brelan to his hit list. Having a former fighter, who has been there in your corner is gold dust and the fact that he took the reins in that moment to save his fighter should be commended,not criticised.
Wilder's comments throughout the boxing community have been met with confusion and an overriding sense of sadness. The fact that a fighter with such a high profile has been managed so badly, is disappointing. And not just by his corner, but by his management team, too. Did no one think to speak to him beforehand and tell him how bad this was going to look?
The Fury vs Wilder matchups had left Joshua out in the cold, but after this it seems Wilder might be the one pushed out, afterall.
Where does this leave Wilder? The recent video released is simply baffling and raises two major questions: How he thought this was a good idea, and how did his team, who manage him, think this was a good idea?
Deontay Wilder is one of the most devastating punchers the boxing world has ever seen. From getting into boxing so late, to making the Olympic team, to medalling, to holding one of the prestigious heavyweight belts. Let's just hope Wilder can put this behind him and get back to doing what he does best.
What do you think on the recent comments made by Wilder? Can he come back from this? Have your say and tag us in your posts on Instagram @turnpro_boxingclothing.