IN just over seven weeks from now, on July 24, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder will meet for the third time.
Their last encounter seems like an age ago, way back in February of last year, where Tyson Fury emerged victorious via a seventh-round stoppage in Las Vegas. So what can we expect in the third fight from Deontay?

First off, Wilder reigned as heavyweight champ from January 2015 when he beat Bermaine Stiverne to February 2020, just over five years. So his mindset as the challenger will be different, and he should be as determined and as hungry as ever to reclaim his title back and avenge his loss and reputation.

This time round Wilder knows exactly what Fury will do and what Fury’s game plan will be. It will be the same as the second fight, where Fury was more aggressive and pushed Wilder on the back foot. So surely Wilder is preparing for this, knowing exactly what Fury is going to do. So Deontay has to be prepared come fight night.

Wilder weighed in at 231pounds, a career heaviest for the second fight, so he should come in a little bit lighter. Maybe around 215 to 220 pounds. Where he can be a bit more mobile on his feet, Wilder needs to establish his jab early and work over Fury’s body. Wilder needs not to let Fury lean all over him, and he needs to pivot and turn Fury every time Tyson leans on him. Wilder must work on combination punching, and we don’t see him just looking for the right hand.

We’ve seen clips emerge from team Wilder showing significant improvements. Wilder seems to be moving his head a lot more, he’s bouncing on his toes, he’s feinting, he’s doubling up the left hook, and as always, the right hand is looking powerful. All good news for the Wilder fans.

Mentally Wilder seems in a good place. He has had plenty of time off to recover physically, which could be a blessing for Wilder. He’s had time to digest his loss, and thus the third fight should be more competitive. So the fight being delayed benefits Wilder and he should be injury-free and itching to go.

Worryingly for Wilder fans, Wilder recently said in an interview his famous quote that his opponent has to be perfect for 12 rounds, and he only has to be perfect for two seconds. Fury showed he could hurt Wilder, so Fury doesn’t really have to be perfect for all 12 rounds because he can get Wilder out there early. And it still sounds like Wilder is in love with his power.

It has to be said that it could be hard for Wilder to change his style at his age. And what’s to say he doesn’t throw everything out the window once he gets hit by Fury. Wilder seems angry and still believes Fury has cheated him, and Wilder is seeking revenge. Wilder needs to stick to his game plan and execute it instead of letting his anger take over and just trying to knock Fury out.

With the mountain of pressure on Wilder to perform after all the excuses he has made, If Wilder loses, it’s hard to see when he will get another crack at the heavyweight title. You’d expect Fury to face Anthony Joshua for undisputed rematch, so this potentially could be Wilders last shot at a title.

Let’s wait and see if a new and improved Deontay Wilder turns up on July 24 because he will have to come with something different this time round to have a chance of victory. And with all the excuses from Wilder, the pressures are on him to perform this time. This fight will go on to define Wilder’s career.

(Boxing News 24)