After ‘perfect’ finish, Deontay Wilder seeks conclusive ending in rematch vs. Tyson Fury
LAS VEGAS — The perfect finish, as Deontay Wilder called his 12th-round knockdown of Tyson Fury on Dec. 1, 2018, delivered a decidedly imperfect result. What Wilder routinely refers to as a definitive knockout is in the record books as the worst kind of outcome, a split draw is when the judges each scored a bout differently.
The judges that night at Staples Center in Los Angeles had it 114-112 for Fury, 115-111 for Wilder and 113-113.
After one of the best nights a boxing fan could have hoped for, a competitive and engaging battle between a pair of quality heavyweights, everyone left the arena unsatisfied.
Fury was mystified how the judges couldn’t see the way his boxing ability defused Wilder’s power. Wilder couldn’t understand how referee Jack Reiss didn’t reach the count of 10 before Fury got to his feet in the 12th. And nobody cared much for Edwards’ score.
“I gave them the perfect finish, and they took it away,” Wilder said, looking up at a visitor seemingly in search of agreement. “He was out. The fight was over. Look how long the count took.”
Fury’s back hit the canvas 39 seconds into the 12th round after Wilder delivered a jab, a crunching straight right hand and followed it with a blistering left hook. There was 2:21 on Showtime’s unofficial clock when Fury first hit the canvas.
After he sent Wilder to the neutral corner, Reiss bent over Fury and picked up the count from the timekeeper at five. At 49 seconds into the round, Fury was on his feet. One second later, he’d steadied himself.
So from the moment his back hit the canvas until he was steady on his feet, it was 11 total seconds. But the rules don’t specify that a knockout comes in 10 seconds; rather, they say it comes at the referee’s count of 10, which is a subtle but important distinction.
No one is going to convince Wilder that Reiss, arguably boxing’s finest active referee, made the right call. It was, Wilder said, a perfect finish to a great night for boxing.
“I knocked him out the first time,” Wilder said. “I didn’t get it, but I’m going to knock him out this time again and this time he’s not getting up, that’s for sure. I promise you that.”
Deontay Wilder looking to break Muhammad Ali’s record
Wilder’s task 14 months later when the two men meet Saturday for a second time, this time at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, is to essentially improve upon perfection.
While he’s technically not perfect — Wilder’s winning percentage is 98.8 and his knockout percentage is 95.3 — he’s as close as one gets to it in modern boxing.
Including the 2018 draw with Fury, Wilder has made 10 consecutive successful defenses of the title he won by outpointing Bermane Stiverne on Jan. 17, 2015. A win or draw on Saturday would give him his 11th successful defense and break him out of a tie with the legendary Muhammad Ali, who made 10 consecutive defenses from March 24, 1975 through Sept. 29, 1977. Ali’s streak ended on Feb. 15, 1978, when he was upset by Leon Spinks.
“This is everything to me,” Wilder said. “This is breaking the tie of consecutive title defenses with me and Muhammad Ali, my all-time great idol. I’m looking forward to setting history with that.”
The fight game is a selfish sport, and boxers spend anywhere from six weeks to three months training for one night. The most successful among them, like Wilder, have a staff that handles their every need.
It’s easy to get caught up in yourself and lose perspective. Wilder, though, isn’t that type of person. He’s affable and approachable and doesn’t see himself as a celebrity so much as a person trying to do the best he can for his family.
Wilder: Fire is lit in boxing’s heavyweight division
He sees boxing as a family because his family is what lured him into the sport. In 2005, his daughter, Naieya, was born with spina bifida. He had bills to pay and then a special needs child to provide for, so he looked for the best way he could make big money quickly.
Wilder gave up on the idea of trying to play basketball or football and jumped into boxing.
And while he’s never been praised for a classic style, he showed a significant aptitude for it immediately.
“From the very first day I saw him, he could hit extremely hard,” said Jay Deas, his head coach. “But I think even from those early days when we were just getting acquainted with each other, I wouldn’t have said he was just a puncher. He could do a lot of things very well.
“Obviously, he’s improved tremendously from then to now, but you didn’t have to see him more than a couple of times in the gym to see that if he dedicated himself to this sport, he had a chance to be pretty good.”
He’s more than fulfilled Deas’ early predictions for him. He’s made millions and stands to make tens of millions more for his fight, win or lose, with Fury on Saturday.
His money has done much for him and his family, but he’s also quick to share his largesse with those in need. In addition, he insists the money he’s earned hasn’t changed him and hasn’t by itself made him happy.
“First off, money don’t make you happy,” Wilder said. “Money’s only temporary. You become happy temporarily. You have friends around. You get to do all these different things until it runs out. I always tell people that with money, it ain’t the ultimate reason why I’m happy. Happiness comes from within yourself. Even in the times I didn’t have no money, there were times then that I was happy.”
He’s generous with his money because that’s his nature — “I love helping people so much,” he says with a smile — but his father didn’t raise a fool. He has learned to say no, though on the many occasions when he does provide money to someone in need, he keeps it private.
“Only the family I’m doing it for, myself and God need to know,” Wilder said.
On Saturday, though, he’ll attempt to do something that is certainly for himself. If he defeats Fury, particularly if he does it in a convincing manner, he’ll be widely regarded as the world’s best heavyweight.
But a lot of what he’ll attempt to do will not only be to raise himself, but all of his peers along with him.
“This is the moment in time for the heavyweight division,” Wilder said. “Its fire is lit. It’s on fire and I’m planning on keeping it that way. As the heavyweight champion of the world, I’m planning on keeping it exciting for everyone. It’s back; the heavyweight division is back, baby.”
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