Lou DiBella has first-hand knowledge of the amazing strength possessed by WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder from their many years working together.
The former co-promoter of ‘The Bronze Bomber’ has witnessed several sickening knockouts from a ringside position.
Wilder has halted 39 of his 41 opponents, with only Bermane Stiverne and Tyson Fury able to go the distance with the Alabama slammer.
Ahead of a scheduled rematch for Wilder against Luis Ortiz, DiBella fired a warning to Fury.
‘The Gypsy King’ is lined up to battle Wilder again should he come through Ortiz in Las Vegas.
In his first bout with Wilder, Ortiz was stopped in the end after a scare for the title holder, something DiBella says can happen to Fury in a split-second and at any point in the fight.
Wilder vs Fury II
“Wilder vs Fury II is always going to be a great fight. Deontay’s a puncher. It’s a classic boxer versus puncher matchup.” DiBella exclusively told World Boxing News.
“Those fights are always interesting match-ups because there’s a constant risk that Deontay can catch Fury and knock him out. Nothing has changed my mind since the first fight.
“Everybody knows Deontay remains dangerous from the first second of the first round to the last second of the twelfth round. But if the fight does go to the distance, then you have to give Fury an edge on boxing ability.
“I think he’ll pick up the pace quicker. I will believe he can knock him out and try not to leave int late in the fight.
“We all know Fury’s a good boxer. But look, I don’t care how many times they fight if they fight. If they fight one hundred times, at some point in the fight Tyson’s going to get hit. When Deontay Wilder hits you it’s dangerous.
“At the same time if you go the distance against Fury it’s very hard to get a decision.”
Elevating the threat level for Fury, DiBella concluded with the ultimate compliment to Wilder’s top attribute.
“The thing about Deontay is he’s right up there with Tyson and Foreman (in punching power). He’s one of the hardest-hitting heavyweights in the history of boxing,” he pointed out.
AVOID
Fury wasn’t able to avoid Wilder the first time around. Dropped twice, Fury made it to the end via a miraculous recovery.
The first knockdown shook him, but it was the second one that almost put him through the canvas.
Only Fury knows how he got up.
Should he get caught with a similar flurry in the return, it may well be all she wrote for Fury.
On the flipside – if Fury stays on his feet, he almost certainly wins. WBN scored the previous contest 8-4 and only gave Wilder two rounds where there wasn’t a knockdown.
That could easily have equated to 10-2 Fury and doesn’t bode well for Wilder if he doesn’t manage to land as flush as last December on February 22nd.
Phil Jay is Editor of World Boxing News and an Auxiliary member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow on Twitter @PhilDJay (article transcribed by Assistant Editor).
