There’s nothing quite like a heavyweight championship prize fight. The soon-approaching Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury bout is exactly that as Wilder’s WBC belt is on the line. This should be a slugfest and we have an in-depth preview of the boxing match. Find out how to bet the fight here!
This bout could go either way and the odds reflect that. Wilder, the reigning WBC heavyweight champion, is pegged as the -162 favorite to win by BetOnline, while Fury is a slight +139 underdog. A battle like this has been a long time coming for the sport.
Heavyweight use to dominate boxing, with names like Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, among many others, becoming household names after dominating the division. But for one reason or another, that heavyweight stronghold has slowly faded this century. When's the last time a heavyweight title fight was a must-see attraction? Maybe Lewis-Klitschko in 2003?
Time's are once again changing, though, and this time heavyweight boxing is on the comeback trail. That revived interest is mainly from Anthony Joshua, who is the sport's next big thing (if he isn't already). Like the rest of boxing diehards, the undefeated Joshua has his eyes fixated on the upcoming Wilder-Fury title bout. In all likelihood, Joshua will face the winner and that will definitely have the sports world salivating.
But before we get too ahead of ourselves, this is what you need to know before Wilder and Fury collide on December 1 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles:
A quick glance at the tale of the tape and you'll notice neither one of these two has a loss on their record.
Wilder is a perfect 40-0, and more impressively, 39 of those wins have come via knockout. The fighter they call the "Bronze Bomber" has been the reigning division champion since 2015. He's fresh off ending Luis Ortiz's own unbeaten streak with a tenth-round TKO. But what really stood out in the win was Wilder's iron chin, which withstood a brutal attack from Ortiz in the seventh that nearly finished Wilder for the first time.
At 30 years old, Fury is three years Wilder's junior. His record is 27-0, but doesn't pack that same knockout punch as Wilder. Only 19 of Fury's victories have come through stoppage. Nonetheless, Fury is the larger fighter. He has a two-inch height and reach advantage over Wilder, and typically carries more pounds in the ring, too. Fury's most notable win came over the all-time great Wladimir Klitschko via unanimous decision three years ago.
For those looking for over/under odds, BetOnline has it set at 9.5 rounds— over at -162 and under at +142.
This matchup is very much a clash of styles. Wilder isn't exactly the most technically-sound boxer, and instead resorts to wild haymakers and little defense. It's served him well up until this point, but that could be exploited by the more efficient Fury, who is prone to dodging punches and wearing down opponents with jabs.
It's worth mentioning, however, Fury is a bit of a mystery at this point. He's fought just twice since his career-defining victory over Klitschko in 2015. Depression and alleged performance-enhancing drug use forced Fury into exile before returning this year with two tune-up wins against so-so opponents. There's no telling if the Fury that dominated Klitschko is still in-tact after all this time.
We expect Wilder to go for the knockout early — which is the smart strategy when you have Wilder's unbelievable power and athleticism that slowly deteriorates over the course of a fight. After all, the longer the fight lasts, the more it benefits Fury and his higher in-ring IQ.
In the end, we're picking Wilder. With him, you at least know what you're getting — a flurry of devasting punches. We have a hard time convincing ourselves that Fury is anything close to his 2015 self. Wilder will end this one before the tenth. Bring on Joshua!
Pick: Wilder (-159) and under (-162)
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
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