Coming up to a year on from their last meeting, it’s becoming more and more apparent that boxing needs Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder III.
In one week, the only other heavyweight champion of the world – Anthony Joshua, puts his titles on the line against Kubrat Pulev.
This isn’t the top division battle the sport wants or needs through no fault of his own. It just isn’t.
Fans and media had already been forced to wait two years for a huge collision between two of the top three before Fury and Wilder traded blows in 2018.
The fallout was amazing on the back of what was one of the most enthralling finishes to a world heavyweight title fight in history.
Fourteen months on, they did it again. WBN watched on dumbfounded, like everyone else in the arena, as Fury absolutely dismantled Wilder from start to finish.
All the excuses in the world haven’t helped Wilder since then. They have only served to highlight the desire for more of this saga.
As Fury’s new trainer Sugarhill Steward told World Boxing News before the rematch, Fury vs. Wilder is this generation’s Ali vs. Frazier.
Therefore, we have to see a trilogy.
“I do think Tyson Fury is one of the best of recent years as he can do a lot of things,” Steward explained to WBN. “He’s very coordinated for a big man, a man of that size like a LeBron James or something.
“He can do a lot of things smaller guys can do with ease. That’s not normally a thing from a big guy.
“Muhammad Ali was one of those fighters who did that for a heavyweight division. He did a lot of things that the big guys couldn’t do. Ali did things that the smaller guys were doing, which made him a very effective heavyweight in his time.
“He had those classic fights with Joe Frazier. Those are boxing classics. You had a boxer and puncher like here (with Wilder vs. Fury). You have the same thing, a boxer and a puncher.”
Adding his opinion on the top three, Steward singled out Wilder as the biggest danger to Fury.
“For me, in my opinion, I’m going to pick Tyson Fury as the top heavyweight with all the different things he can do.
“He’s the more well-rounded heavyweight than Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua. Out of the big three, he’s just the more versatile fighter.
“Deontay has that something nobody else has. He has that power. Anthony Joshua is good. His boxing career and his talent are super good as well.
“Those are the three top guys in the division right now,” he added.
Fury vs. Joshua is a huge fight in the UK. We all know this. But the outcome seems a lot more straightforward than a Wilder trilogy.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn knows full well that his man is a firm underdog. Simultaneously, the Essex man also knows the clash makes more money than any other fight out there for AJ.
That’s the golden ticket for Joshua before he bows out of the big time. It’s the reason why Hearn is pushing for the fight without actually making it happen.
It will probably go down in 2022 or 2023 when Joshua is thinking of retirement. Fury is certainly expected to have Joshua’s number via a wide decision.
Taking Fury’s pummeling of Wilder into account and Joshua’s weak chin, you wouldn’t be able to rule out a knockout either.
DEONTAY WILDER POWER FACTOR
With Wilder, it’s different. The American has unholy power that can stop you dead if it connects in the sweet spot. Fury has already felt that, and it was a miracle he got up.
That’s where the excitement lies. Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder III is paramount for that factor alone, so fingers crossed, an agreement can be reached in mediation.
A date in February of 2021 in Las Vegas would be the perfect tonic to bring a full arena of fans back to Las Vegas.
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