By Chuks Ogbu
On Saturday evening, two heavyweight titans will lock horns once again at the famous MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas and trying to pick an obvious favourite is nigh impossible.
Both fighters bring different skill sets to the table. Fury’s forte of unpredictability will be key, while Wilder’s trademark right hand is simply the best equaliser in boxing
Heavyweight legend David Haye believes the Bronze Bomber’s explosive power is even greater than that of Mike Tyson, due to his extended reach.
Speaking to News Men in Las Vegas, the Hayemaker replied when asked to compare Wilder’s power to Iron Mike’s: “Singly, yes [Wilder’s is bigger]. Because it can hit you from so much further across the ring, you think you’re safe and you’re not.
Whereas Mike Tyson had very short arms, there is a big difference in arm length between the two fighters.
“Two very different types of fighters, Tyson was clusters of short, crisp, explosive punches. Deontay Wilder is long, raking shots that are just sickening.
“I believe single punches, Lennox Lewis is a close second behind Wilder, it’s devastating.”
The discussion of Wilder’s punching power has dominated the narrative in the build-up to the fight, but Haye believes the rest of the American’s boxing skills are heavily underestimated.
You can’t watch a [Vasily] Lomachenko fight and then watch a Wilder fight and think Wilder is significantly worse of a boxer because he can’t do all the cute little angles that Lomachenko does,” Haye said.
“He [Wilder] doesn’t need to do that stuff because he just knocks you out with one punch, Lomachenko needs to hit you with 500 shots a fight to break you down.
“Wilder doesn’t need to do the things that Lomachenko or an Oleksandr Usyk because, when everyone else is jabbing, he’s [Wilder] throwing home runs.”
Haye raises a very valid point. Wilder’s almost superhuman right hand renders the necessity for complex boxing ability pretty much redundant.
As the WBC champ once quipped himself: “My opponent needs to be perfect for 36 minutes, I only need to be perfect for two seconds.”
Roll on Saturday evening!