Sometimes there's nothing better than a rematch. WBC world titleholder Deontay Wilder and lineal champion Tyson Fury will return to the ring Saturday (on ESPN+ PPV) to settle the score between two of the most talented heavyweights in the world. On Dec. 1, 2018, Wilder and Fury fought to a disputed split draw, with Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs) outboxing his opponent for long stretches of the bout only for Wilder to score two knockdowns in the late rounds and rally back enough in the eyes of the judges to retain his title.
Ahead of the second go-round between these two heavyweights, ESPN asked a group of noted trainers to share their thoughts on what we can expect at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Responses have been edited for clarity.
What did you think about the first fight?
Tyson Fury says "SugarHill" Steward's extensive coaching resume will bring the best out of him ahead of his rematch with Deontay Wilder.
Joel Diaz: It was a great, competitive fight. It was an exciting fight. Tyson Fury is more of the skilled boxer -- he moves his feet well, in and out. Wilder is just all-in. He's in there to knock your head off. Once in a while he backed up a little bit, but he's always there just looking for the opportunity to land that right hand.
Wilder had issues with Fury's jab because when you're not connecting on the jab yourself, and you don't have your opponent in your range, you're always going to have problems. When Wilder steps with his jab he measures you to set up the right hand.
Ronnie Shields: I thought it was kinda boring in the beginning. I thought both guys were just a little tentative coming out. I know Wilder wanted to hit him and knock him out. At the same time, Fury would at least try to stand up to him a little bit. But Fury stayed back and moved a little bit more than I thought he would. Now, I understand why, because he realized Wilder can punch, and that's his best asset.
The first fight, it was OK. It wasn't the best heavyweight fight I've ever seen, but in the 12th round I thought, "Well, Wilder got him," when he went down. The referee didn't pick up the count from the timekeeper, you can see that, obviously, because I counted to 13 and he only got to seven or eight. So that was kind of messed up.
Stephen Edwards: Fury was super sharp [considering] the layoff that he had, but as good as Fury was, he still almost got knocked out. With Wilder you can't judge him on getting outboxed, or how many rounds he loses, because he's not trying to win rounds. That's his gift. All he wants is for you to lower your awareness for literally a split second so he can land his right hand -- that's all he's looking for.
Naazim Richardson told me years ago, "It can be a curse to be able to do too many things," because under the gun what you start doing is, you go into your toolbox. ... And he said, "Sometimes it's better to go into your toolbox and know exactly what you're going to pull out. You know exactly where to go get it, and you know what you are going to do. It comes out faster."
I thought about that with Wilder. Everybody says, "Oh, he's one-dimensional, he can't box, he doesn't have a left hand, he doesn't have this, he doesn't have that." But you know what? All he wants to do is land one shot, that's it. And he's fast and he's athletic. So it's really difficult beating Wilder because of that.
He's going to land that shot, it's really difficult to go through a whole fight and not get hit, at all. He's a difficult guy to beat because he doesn't try to do more than one thing.
I think Tyson Fury is a better all-around fighter than Wilder, he's better technically in all these things. But it's hard to pick against Wilder, because in a 36-minute fight you have to figure he's going to land his shots.
Joey Gamache: I thought Fury was boxing well. Of course he got caught a couple of times and got dropped, but I thought Fury's boxing skills threw Wilder off. Fury's unpredictable. He's a guy that fights a lot of different ways, he's not somebody simple. I thought Wilder was overloading his shots and everybody knows that. I thought there were better places to go than just to the head. Wilder is a good fighter, a powerful guy.
We see Wilder more as the knockout guy, but you remember when he fought Bermane Stiverne [the first time], he boxed well. It went the distance, he boxed really well with the basics. But I think when you're a puncher like that, you tend to want to knock everybody out."
How does Fury avoid Wilder's powerful right hand for 12 rounds?
Shields: That's going to be hard since Wilder's going to throw it -- and he's going to throw it repeatedly. If I was Wilder, I'd do it the same way, I'd keep throwing it 'til it lands, and the thing is, they both know: Wilder can hurt him, but can Fury hurt Wilder? That's the big question.
Edwards: I can understand why Fury would want to back him up. I was sitting ringside for their first fight and in the 12th round when Fury was knocked down, something unique happened when Fury got up, it's almost like he had an epiphany. Instead of running away when he got himself together, he started attacking, and it worked.
Wilder doesn't get any of his knockouts in the mid-range or short-range, everything is a long, whipping or straight shot. So I could see why Fury would want to back him up. If you keep Wilder on the inside and keep him turning, and don't let him get full extension on that right hand, it's the "gun in the room" theory: Do you run away from the gun, or do you run toward it?
Gamache: He should be moving to his right, going away from the right hand, for one. He should be boxing smart, he don't need to stay there in front of him and be a slugger. Part of the reason he got caught in the first fight was that he was moving the wrong direction, I'm sure he's fully aware of that. I know [trainer Javon] "Sugar" Hill does his homework, [his other trainer] Andy Lee, as well. They're going to fix those things. You won't see those mistakes like in the first fight.
Diaz: He just has to move more and he needs to have a strategy. When you know that Wilder's right hand is going to do damage, you know you're going to have to move a lot, keep him at a distance, and he's going to have to be very careful, because I'm telling you, Wilder, he sets it up perfectly. He measures it with a jab, he touches you -- and all of a sudden, you don't see [the right hand] coming. He just lets it go. But it's not impossible to avoid it if you keep him at range, hit him and move. And every time Wilder tries to unload, just stay low, or get inside and hold onto him. If I was Fury's trainer, I would have him move to his own left, and as soon as he starts to throw the right, step in, don't give him full extension. Smother that right hand. I've done that before with some of my fighters when the opposition has a devastating right hand. Just close in on them. Don't give them the full extension on it.
Will the change in trainer affect Fury?
Deontay Wilder was jumping for joy on the inside when Tyson Fury rose to his feet after being knocked down in the 12th round of their first fight.
Diaz: It's going to be a big problem because you cannot change a fighter with such a short time for a big fight like this. A fighter has already established his foundation, and every trainer trains differently, every trainer has a different aspect to how they coach, they have a different view.
And based on the first fight, all Fury needed to do was make a few adjustments -- with the same trainer. Now, switching trainers can be a problem. This new trainer was not there in the first fight to see in close range what mistakes were made, what changes can be made. He'll make his suggestions, but it could be a problem.
Fury's mentality will be a little bit different in this fight because the new trainer may have a different fight plan.
Shields: Look, this happens in boxing. Obviously Fury wasn't comfortable with his last trainer and he just felt he wanted to get a little bit more experience in the corner. I mean, that's all I can see, otherwise, I don't see anything.
Edwards: I don't know how to take it, but I thought Ben Davison did a good job. I thought he handled the pressure, I thought he was excellent with his corner instructions. I just don't understand that. I thought he did excellent. I don't want to overstep my boundaries because I don't know what goes on behind the scenes, but from everything I saw, I'm like, "Ben Davison is an excellent young coach."
I thought he did an excellent job, from the mental state Fury was in, health issues that he had, to come back and fight a fighter like that off a layoff is impressive to me. So I'm shocked that the dude lost his job.
Gamache: It's a surprise, for sure, but he's picked good trainers with (Javan) "Sugar" Hill and Andy Lee. They're knowledgeable guys, really fundamental trainers. So it's not like they're going to try to change him around. They know that they don't have to teach him anything or change him, that kind of stuff.
I think trainers make a big difference because you've got to make the right decisions with the fighter, and the fighter is really relying on the trainer a lot, as well. Yeah, there are some guys like Wilder where he's such a big puncher that he relies more on his power than anything else, but I think it's important to have that good trainer with that experience, who has been there before, they know what they're doing. Emanuel Steward was a great trainer, and we (Hill, Lee and myself) all learned from him.
Should Wilder be more aggressive?
Tyson Fury says he intends to go toe-to-toe with Deontay Wilder, predicting a second-round knockout on Feb. 22.
Diaz: Definitely. He needs to elevate the volume of punches, especially with the jab to keep Fury where he wants him, distract him a little, set him up, measure distance and look [to land] the right hand because that's his bread-and-butter. It's inevitable that he's going to rely on the right hand.
There are fighters who are very accurate with a punch and they're always going to keep using it -- it's just a matter of time before it lands. Eventually, the opposition is always going to be looking at what his most dangerous punch is and they'll work on not getting hit by it. But down the road, sooner or later, it's going to come. As much as you try to get away from it, it's inevitable that during the fight in an exchange, depending on the timing, depending on the distance, it's going to land.
Shields: He can't win the fight unless he does that -- he has to jab. But he has to be able to keep backing Fury up, he has to be consistent with the jab. He has to land the jab, he can't just throw a jab and say that counts -- no, it doesn't. You've got to consistently land that jab.
I know he can knock Fury out but at the same time Fury knows that he can't get hit with the same shot he got hit with the last fight [in the 12th round]. So I expect Fury to move a little bit more and Wilder has to step it up. He has to be in great shape because Fury is a hard guy to hit. You have to make him make mistakes. That's what happened the last time, he made some mistakes and Wilder was able to capitalize.
Edwards: That's a great question, because he can't knock everybody out. Eventually his Achilles' heel will be how many rounds he loses before he hits everybody with his Sunday punch.
I'm going to give you a weird answer, I'm going to say no. In a fight when you throw punches, the more punches you throw -- even if you're a big puncher -- the more the other person gets acclimated to your body movements and your timing.
I think Wilder's low output is one of the reasons he catches everybody by shock. He barely throws punches and opponents really don't know how to gauge the impact that's coming. So that when he does throw, it's like a surprise for them. So they don't get a chance to get warmed up to his power.
When you see Manny Pacquiao fight, where he throws a lot of punches, he hits you with a straight left hand early, and it kind of f---s you up. But as time goes on you warm up to the awkwardness of it and you take it a little bit better -- because he's throwing it all the time.
Wilder's thing is that he doesn't throw it all that much. So as weird as it may sound, Wilder has to give up points to get what he wants out of a fight.
Gamache: Absolutely. Wilder should be using that jab, setting things up. He didn't use it like that in the first fight. The question is: Will he make those adjustments? Or will he just be looking for the knockout?
I think he's going to make adjustments because he knows how to work with the jab, he has the boxing skills. He can't just rely on knocking him out.
What will Fury do differently in the rematch?
Diaz: I know from a fighter's perspective that Fury will be more cautious because he got dropped twice in the first fight. I think he's going to be more technical, try to avoid the exchange. He's going to be hitting and moving, hitting and moving, and maybe a little more holding.
Shields: Absolutely. He changed trainers, but they still have enough time to work together to make sure that they're on the same page. You can have a game plan going in, but he's got to make up his mind when he gets in the ring on how he's going to pursue it.
I've seen it so many times, I've had guys myself, I'd be, "Hey, what are you doing? That's not what we trained for, for all those weeks. This is not what we did." But guys do that.
Edwards: Fury's room for error is really small because he's a big target, and he's doing a lot to slip punches. This is a very, very intriguing matchup because I saw something in that first fight. I think Fury will be safer pushing forward and not let Wilder step in with that big shot. Fury is not the puncher Wilder is, but I think he's physically stronger.
In the 12th round Fury started pushing Wilder back, and I think he hurt Wilder after he got up from that knockdown. If I'm Fury, as pretty as it looks and sounds as the crowd "ooohs and ahhhs" because he's making Wilder miss all over the place, it's dangerous to fight like that. By fighting on the outside, he's giving Wilder that full extension and Wilder springs his body into that right hand. And nobody has proven to take that shot.
Gamache: Fury's not a big puncher, but he's a guy that's got good boxing skills. He's a big guy that knows how to use certain tools, but he's not a huge knockout puncher. The puncher here is Wilder, so for him to go look for the knockout, I don't see that. Hey, don't get me wrong, he rocked Wilder in that last fight. But Wilder wasn't down on the floor.
How does the rematch play out?
Diaz: I think it's going to be a similar fight, honestly. Wilder's going to walk in the ring knowing that going the distance may not be what suits him because Tyson Fury is a more technical fighter and will win a decision. Wilder has to get in there looking for the knockout.
Shields: I think it looks exactly like the first fight. I just think that Wilder's going to be behind early, but I think he catches up to Fury. Look, if he can't get inside of Fury's jab, it's a problem. He's going to have to really start pushing himself in the later rounds if he's behind so many rounds.
Edwards: Wilder is going to get outboxed for stretches, how long will it be? I don't know, but he's going to get outboxed. But I think Wilder's ring IQ is higher than people give it credit for. People don't like to give knockout punchers credit for having an IQ, and I think that is a mistake.
But sometimes it takes IQ to cut the ring and to land that big punch. You've got Wilder landing the big right hand on a continuous basis. That's pretty much his only weapon. You've got to give him credit, there's a method to the madness. Mathematically, the fight favors Deontay Wilder because while Fury has to be good for 36 minutes, Wilder only has to be on for literally a split second.
Gamache: That's a tough one. I like Fury. I like Wilder. It's a pick 'em fight, anything can happen. I feel Fury can outbox Wilder and fight smart and stay that way. But it's not an easy task when you've got someone like Wilder coming after you.
I like Fury: He's a character, he's very sociable, so he's an easy guy to root for. But it's one of those things, with the equalizer that Wilder has, it's difficult to just see it one way.
Will Wilder score a KO?
Shields: With a guy like Deontay Wilder, it can happen early, or it can happen late. That's the thing, but again, it depends on when he creates the distance that it takes for him to get close enough to let the right hand go, because the first fight Fury did a great job the first five, six rounds, keeping him at bay and (Wilder) can't get close. Finally he started picking it up and got close enough to where he dropped him twice. I think Wilder wins by knockout in the 10th round.
Edwards: That's hard to predict because with Wilder, if you notice, his knockouts come in all variations, they come with the same shot, but sometimes he gets you early, like Dominic Breazeale, sometimes he gets you late. He's interesting with that. I think he gets you when he gets your timing down, or you're not suspecting him to punch, or stepping in with a shot.
Wilder's one of the best fighters I've ever seen out of a clinch. Most guys kind of make a "silent agreement," they step away, don't do anything until the referee breaks them. Well, he lets the referee break them, and he steps in right away, it's almost like he sucker punches you -- but it's a legal shot. I don't know why other guys don't do it. But he steps away and then ... BOOM, he knocks you right out.
The safest bet in boxing is Deontay Wilder by KO. Every fight he seems to hone in with that one shot. I think Wilder hits Fury with a right hand behind his ear as he tries to roll it, and knocks him out, I'd say in the eighth or ninth round.
Gamache: I would think it happens later, Fury's a good boxer and he's smart. He can be elusive and stay away. Fury's got smart trainers he's working with and they're going to look at those things and he's going to be well prepared. Anything can happen but if I had to put my money on it, I just see Fury being the smarter fighter. I think Fury will win by decision.
Diaz: I think it happens in the middle rounds. It's going to take him a few rounds, but he'll catch him in the middle rounds. Fury's going to be very alert in the beginning, very concerned with the right hand and he's going to be very cautious. He's going to be very protective defensively, so it's going to take some rounds for Wilder to find the right timing.
It's going to be a competitive fight in the early rounds, but by the sixth, seventh rounds, it's over. I think Wilder will catch Fury between the fifth and sixth, and knock him out in the middle rounds.