Follow the latest boxing news live today as we begin building up to one of the biggest fights of the year: Tyson Fury’s rematch with WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder.
The two men fought to a genuinely sensational draw in Los Angeles at the end of 2018 and on Saturday night will reconvene for what promises to be another dramatic fight. The final press conference took place on Wednesday and today we will be bringing you news from the weigh-in.
Elsewhere, British heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte has been told he “should be next” for the winner of Saturday’s rematch by Top Rank president Bob Arum. And boxing legend Lennox Lewis has insisted that both Wilder and Fury are better than unified champion Anthony Joshua. All that and more below.
Fury has dismissed Wilder as a "one-trick pony" ahead of their WBC heavyweight title rematch on Saturday.
Britain's Fury failed in his bid to snatch the belt from the champion when he was dropped twice in their 2018 bout, earning Wilder a draw despite being out-boxed for much of the fight.
Wilder's renowned power was evidenced that night when he knocked Fury down in rounds nine and 12, with the latter a particularly devastating shot which the Mancunian somehow recovered from.
Many believe that power will ensure Wilder keeps the belt again when the pair fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas this weekend, but Fury believes he has the measure of his man.
"There's no stress about his power going into the fight," he said. "I've been 12 rounds with him, out-boxed him quite comfortably, took his best shots, got up, fired back at him.
"The one who should be concerned is Deontay Wilder because he is a one-trick pony.
"He's a knockout artist, but he knocked me down twice in two rounds, nine and 12. And he had over two minutes in each round to finish me and he couldn't finish me.
"It was like on (video game) Mortal Kombat. They said 'finish him!', and then he couldn't finish me.
"He's the one who should be concerned. He's landed the two best punches that any heavyweight in the world could ever land on somebody else, and the Gypsy King rose like a phoenix from the ashes back to my feet and hurt him at the end of the round.
"So yeah, it's going to be pretty difficult for Wilder, not me. This is heavyweight boxing. I've been hit, I've been hurt, I've been put down in my career, but it's not about when we get put down, it's what happens when we get back up and keep moving forward."
Lewis rates his top three heavyweights in the world
"Right now the top man is Deontay because of how he looked in his last two fights," Lewis told Sky Sports News.
"Both of these guys [Wilder and Fury] are number one and number two. Arguably, number one and number two - it can be switched either way.
"On Saturday they get the chance to prove to the world who is number one and who is number two."
Will the first bell resemble a metaphoric 13th round?
The confidence will have spilled over in Tuscaloosa throughout the past few months as Deontay Wilder repeatedly envisages the now infamous 12th round where he connected cleanly and so devastatingly to momentarily turn Tyson Fury‘s world upside down.
Will the fight begin in tense circumstances or has Wilder been convinced of his own power from the first fight to initiate a more frenetic pace? “Rising from the dead,” that’s how Wilder described Fury’s recovery then.
Fury’s range and fleet of foot will bide him time at first, while a reckless approach from Wilder may present openings that the challenger has so firmly claimed he will expose in a more aggressive approach this time around. Is it all bravado or will he fulfil his promise?
Can Fury’s chin stand up to Wilder’s ferocious power?
Wilder possesses the most intimidating weapon in boxing: the American may telegraph his hellacious right hand, yet it’s often irrelevant due to the force that punctures every opponent’s guard.
Fury’s resurrection in the first fight was incredible in itself, yet the more miraculous occurrence was how the Briton rediscovered the spring in his feet with more than two minutes remaining to not only stay out of reach, but package together shots of his own to turn the tide and momentum in his direction. It is worth remembering that Fury’s powers of recovery could be equally key to this fight as Wilder’s power.
Fury insider claims Brit has been far stricter for this camp
The rematch to define this era of modern heavyweights is finally upon as Deontay Wilder defends his WBC world title against Tyson Fury.
It’s been 18 months since Fury dominated the early portion of their first fight, before being spectacularly floored for a second time in the bout in the 12th round, seemingly unconscious before his head hit the canvas. Somehow, Fury rose from the count and finished strong, only to be denied victory by a controversial decision on the judges’ scorecards.
Both fighters remain undefeated, with Wilder now making the 11th defence of his title – a victory against Fury would see him surpass Muhammad Ali’s record. Fury, meanwhile, is looking to win the only version of the world title he hasn’t previously held in the WBC belt.
There are numerous variables which can dictate a rematch even the bookmakers have found almost impossible to split, from Fury’s weight and fitness to the cut he suffered against Otto Wallin.
Here, our writers divulge their predictions for one of the great fights of recent heavyweight history.
Key odds for the fight
The earliest a unification fight can be is 2021 as Joshua has to go through the mandatory challenges of Pulev and Uysk. But I can envisage Pulev being the champion. I'd like Pulev to win over Joshua.Joshua is a scared fighter and a scared fighter who is going to lose. Joshua gets knocked out by Andy Ruiz who is maybe a little bit better than a normal heavyweight, no great shakes.And then he goes into the ring and instead of showing what kind of fighter he is and putting Ruiz out, he spent 12 rounds running away and Ruiz was in no kind of shape to catch him. That's what I call a scared fighter.Ruiz hit the lottery by fighting Joshua at the right time, it went to his head. There was no discipline, he didn't train and so forth. I'm telling you when Joshua fights Pulev, it will be a whole different thing and Pulev will knock him out. He cannot run away from Pulev, he will have to stand and fight and if a scared fighter is not going to perform well.
Wilder vs Fury II preview
When and where is the fight?
The fight takes place at the MGM Grand arena in Las Vegas on Saturday 22 February – or the early hours of Sunday morning for UK viewers.
What time does the fight start?
The ring walks are expected at approximately 5am UK time.
How can I watch it and how much does it cost?
The fight will be broadcast live on BT Sport Box Office for £24.95. Fans can also stream the fight online via BT’s official website.
Who is on the undercard?
- Charles Martin vs Gerald Washington (heavyweight)
- Emanuel Navarrete vs Jeo Santisima (WBO World Super Bantamweight Title)
- Amir Imam vs Javier Molina (welterweight)
- Isaac Lowe vs Alberto Guevara (featherweight)
- Subriel Matias vs Petros Ananyan (welterweight)
- Sebastian Fundora vs Daniel Lewis (super welterweight)
- Gabriel Flores Jr vs Matt Conway (lightweight)
- Rolando Romero vs Arturs Ahmetovs (lightweight)
- Vito Mielnicki Jr vs Corey Champion (welterweight)
What’s at stake?
Wilder is looking to make the 11th defence of his WBC World Heavyweight title and thereby surpassing Muhammad Ali’s record. The Ring Magazine title and Fury’s status as lineal champion are also up for grabs.
