When the dust settles, and the trilogy of Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder is written into the history books, boxing fans might be able to look back at the duo in perhaps their prime years — battling it out on the biggest stage with one man taking all the bragging rights and the other cast down a career path they may not have envisaged when the initial trash talk began. You feel it is the last chance saloon for the pair of them.
Recent results in the boxing world have caused a stir to say the least. With Oleksandr Usyk beating Anthony Joshua, a proposed opponent for Fury over the summer, to continue his unbeaten run and leaving a dream bout between the Brits seemingly impossible, regardless of how favourable the Tyson Fury odds from Betfair are.
With so much speculation coming out of both camps, Fury must keep his eye on the dangerous American who can finish a fight with one devastating blow in the slightest of seconds. Both fighters will be desperate to have their hands raised in this one, so read on as we go through why this bout might mean more for Fury.
Completing redemption arc
When Fury was in his lowest state, weighing in at around 400lbs, he would always say fighting Wilder was his biggest aspiration when returning to the ring. There is something so poignant about arguably his most important fight to date coming against the Bronze Bomber. His controversial draw in their first bout saw a rematch where Fury put in one of the most impressive performances ever for a heavyweight — a sheer masterclass.
For Fury to enjoy such a long period of domination, especially when taking into account not only the status of his opponent but also his innate ability to inflict knockouts seemingly out of the blue, and you have all the concoctions for one hell of a third match. Expect tension to be palpable inside the T-Mobile Arena when that first bell rings, with the boxing betting tips struggling to call this one.
Enjoying prime years
Despite not having stepped in the ring since February 2020, that aura of confidence surrounding Fury will never really die down. For all of his size and punching power, his athleticism is most striking — realistically, a 6ft 9inch man should not be able to move like that. The speed and panache is a spectacle to witness, and at his best, Fury will dominate the best around.
Turning 34 next year, the prime years for a heavyweight, many believe the Gypsy King must get a few more fights in the back so they can enjoy him at his best, while he and his camp will just be focused on getting the victory in Vegas and cementing their place in the history books.
Backing up confidence
As always, this is heavyweight boxing, and there is bound to be trash talk. For all Fury had to say last year in their rematch, he backed everything up and left Wilder looking rather foolish. Since then, the social media antics and press conference rustling has been in full flow, and Fury will want to ensure he can still do the business after another long absence from the ring.
The Gypsy King’s future is still up in the air depending on the weekend’s results, but promoter Frank Warren has hinted his next venture will be in the UK, saying: “If Tyson wins the fight, we’ll sit down. There are a few options there. Usyk would be a massive fight here, and the Joshua fight is still huge.
“I do believe the public buys into that fight even if AJ isn’t champion.”