Where does former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder go from here?
The rematch between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder may have opened quite a lot of eyes. Many thought the rematch would be far more competitive than how it unfolded. Essentially Tyson Fury walked right into the ring and took the fight to Deontay Wilder, never giving him a chance to open up with his own meaningful offense.
Deontay Wilder has made many excuses about his loss in the rematch, even referencing the forty pound outfit he wore to the ring tiring him out before he even set foot inside the squared circle. The truth of the matter is two-fold: firstly, Tyson Fury came in with an impeccable game plan and the willingness to set a high output and use superior feints, footwork, and odd angled punch selection. Secondly, Deontay Wilder just simply didn’t have the footwork or defensive awareness to avoid Fury’s intense offense.
While he may have a rematch clause in his contract, Deontay Wilder should avoid an immediate rematch at all costs. Rather than focusing on a rematch, Wilder would be better advised to work on his fundamentals, particularly his footwork, if he has any hope of beating Tyson Fury in their third meeting.
What doesn’t help Deontay Wilder’s cause is the alleged rumors that he may have fired his coach Mark Breland. An Olympic Gold Medalist and former professional in his own right, Mark Breland took full responsibility for throwing in the towel in the seventh round of the Fury-Wilder rematch. The experienced boxer and coach apparently recognized that his fighter was in danger and made the call to throw in the towel.
While Mark Breland has received criticism from pundits like former pro boxer Timothy Bradley, sometimes it’s the ones closest to the fighter, the one doing the work with them day in and day out that have to make the tough choice to save the fighter from themselves. Deontay Wilder wanted to go out on his shield and while Breland robbed him of that, the coach may have potentially saved him further sustained damage. For Wilder to fire Breland it may be a very ill advised move, especially if Wilder chooses to invoke the immediate rematch clause in his contract.
As of now, Deontay Wilder should head back to the drawing board and think on his options down the road. He has a lot of work to be done and much needed tools that should be added to his game in order to succeed in a third meeting with Tyson Fury.
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Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
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