Heavyweight

A statue commemorating Joe Frazier's victory over Muhammad Ali on March 8, 1971, was unveiled Monday in Feasterville, Pennsylvania. 

According to the Associated Press' Dan Gelston, the statue was on display at a gym owned by Joe Hand Promotions and is expected to be housed at a Pennsylvania sports museum.

Ali was a perfect 31-0 when he traveled to Madison Square Garden in New York City to face off against Frazier. He suffered his first defeat, losing a unanimous decision in what many consider to be one of the greatest fights ever. The two legends crossed paths twice more, with Ali coming out on top in 1974 and 1975.

While a native of South Carolina, Frazier came to adopt Philadelphia as his hometown.

"He just represents what Philadelphia is all about," Joe Frazier Jr. said of his father. "Work hard. It's not all about talking with your mouth. It's speaking with your action. That's what it's about."

The city honored Frazier with his own statue in 2015, nearly four years after his death from liver cancer in 2011.

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury called out WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO champ Anthony Joshua on social media Saturday, saying that he wants to fight and would knock him out by Round 3.

Top Rank CEO and co-founder Bob Arum, who co-promotes Fury, expressed confidence via his Twitter account and communications with Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix that a Fury-Joshua bout will transpire.

He also said that Top Rank would work on the fight particulars starting Monday.

Arum told Mannix that he spoke with Matchroom Sport group director and Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn about a deal and that progress was made:

Fury sports a 30-0-1 lifetime record, with his only non-victory a draw against Deontay Wilder in December 2018. He beat Wilder via seventh-round TKO in a February 2020 rematch. Twenty-one of Fury's wins have come via knockout.

Joshua is 24-1 lifetime, with his only defeat a seventh-round TKO at the hands of Andy Ruiz Jr. in June 2019. Joshua handily won a unanimous-decision rematch six months later. His last fight occurred Saturday when he beat Kubrat Pulev by ninth-round knockout.

All but two of Joshua's wins are via knockout.

Anthony Joshua will make his long-awaited return to the ring Saturday night, defending his WBA, WBO and IBF world heavyweight titles against Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Arena in London.

Joshua's (23-1, 21 KOs) title defense comes a little more than a year after his redemptive unanimous-decision win over Andy Ruiz Jr. in Saudi Arabia, which restored him to the top of the division after Ruiz's historic upset in June 2019.

Back on the throne, Joshua has his sights set on defeating Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) to potentially set up a superfight with Tyson Fury, the undefeated WBC world champion.

Pulev, a popular fighter in his native Bulgaria, is a big underdog but cannot be taken lightly. Joshua has already suffered one major upset in his career. Another loss on a big stage would be an incredible setback for one of the more exciting knockout artists in recent years.

Joshua vs. Pulev Fight Info

When: Saturday, Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. ET

Where: Wembley Arena in London

Live stream: DAZN

TV: Sky Sports Box Office (UK)

Odds: Joshua -1250 (wager $1250 to win $100), Pulev +600

Joshua rose to the top of the heavyweight division thanks to his quick, ruthless destruction of overmatched opponents. He looked unstoppable during his meteoric ascent, but his years with the titles have been far more interesting.

He was knocked down by Wladimir Klitschko in their epic heavyweight title fight in 2017 before earning the win with an 11th-round TKO. He picked up the WBO strap with a somewhat frustrating decision win over Joseph Parker, and then of course there was his dispiriting stoppage loss to Ruiz in 2019.

Joshua's team will be hoping there isn't too much drama against Pulev on Saturday. It's his first title defense since the win over Ruiz, and a straightforward mauling would do well to shore up the 31-year-old's confidence and get people excited for a potential fight with Fury. Joshua is well aware of what's at stake here.

"I just can't underestimate this guy," Joshua said, per Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole. "Remember, I've lost before and I never want to lose again. So, for the Tyson Fury question, I want to compete with him one day, so the only way to prove who's No. 1 is by getting past Pulev and having the opportunity to compete with him. That's how I go about proving who's No. 1."

A stoppage win would be great, but Joshua showed he can alter his strategy if he gets into trouble. He dominated Ruiz with the jab in Saudi Arabia last time out, and a similar showing might be what's needed to get a result against Pulev. The 39-year-old has slimmed down and believes he can pull off an upset against Joshua.

"I feel a little lighter and at my best like this," the Bulgarian challenger said Wednesday, per the Guardian's Donald McRae. "A boxer must have power and speed and right now I feel very dangerous."

Pulev has just one loss on his record, a fifth-round knockout at Klitschko's hands in 2014. He hasn't faced the same level of competition as some of the other top heavyweight contenders, but he's a solid fighter.

Joshua has a longer reach than Pulev (82", to 79.5", per BoxRec), so the champ may opt to start off establishing the jab and then look to trade if he feels Pulev's chin isn't up to the task. At the same time, Pulev will also be looking to see whether Joshua is vulnerable to the big punches.

If Joshua gets the win, he will surely push for the career-defining bout against Fury, although another obstacle stands in the way. Oleksandr Usyk, a former unified cruiserweight world champion who moved up to heavyweight in 2019, is reportedly looking to trigger his mandatory WBO challenge bout in 2021, per Sky Sports' James Dielhenn. Usyk would be an interesting opponent for Joshua, although it would delay (and potentially derail) a fight against Fury.

But all of this is moot if Pulev does what Ruiz did and wins Saturday night. It would be a massive blow to Joshua's career and completely scramble the narratives developing at the top of the heavyweight division. Pulev has the potential to be a major spoiler; it's up to Joshua to stop him.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua used his words rather than his fists during a protest in his hometown of Watford, England, on Saturday:

Joshua defended himself against criticisms he received for the speech (warning: contains profanity):

Protests against racial injustice and police brutality are ongoing across the world—including in all 50 United States—after the killing of George Floyd. The 46-year-old black man was killed while in Minneapolis police custody May 25. Since-fired officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the back of Floyd's neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds during the arrest. Floyd was pronounced dead shortly afterward at a nearby hospital.

Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter May 29. However, Chauvin was given an additional second-degree murder charge June 3, while J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, the other officers involved in the arrest, were formally charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Joshua last fought in December, defeating Andy Ruiz Jr. in a unanimous decision. Ruiz had previously upset the 30-year-old in a technical knockout at Madison Square Garden in June 2019. Joshua is 23-1-0 all-time.

Tyson Fury defeated Deontay Wilder via seventh-round TKO in a battle between two undefeated heavyweight boxing champions Saturday in Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Wilder's corner threw in the towel on his behalf, but the Tuscaloosa, Alabama, native said post-fight that he wanted to go out on his own terms:

Fury dominated the match: Per CompuBox, he landed 58 power punches on the night, or 20 fewer than when he and Wilder fought to a split decision in December 2018.

Fury was also dominating on the scorecards at the time of the TKO, per Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports:

The judges had the fight 59-52, 58-53 and 59-52 in Fury's favor. One judge gave Wilder the edge in the second round. Otherwise, Fury was deemed the better fighter throughout.

Although Wilder was upset, throwing in the towel was likely the right decision.

Fury was pummeling a near-defenseless Wilder in the corner at the time, and that was after at least one boxing analyst (Chisanga Malata of the Daily Express) posited that the boxer's corner should consider the act:

It happened, and Wilder lost his first fight in 44 professional bouts.

As for what's ahead, Wilder has the right to a rematch, with Mike Coppinger of The Athletic laying out the parameters:

"There's a bi-lateral rematch clause, so Deontay Wilder will have 30 days to exercise his right to an immediate encore encounter for a trilogy fight with Tyson Fury that could take place in the summer," Coppinger tweeted.

"But after such a one-sided fight, will we see a third bout?"

For now, there's no disputing that Fury is the world's best heavyweight.

The highly anticipated rematch between heavyweight boxing champions Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder has broken the weight class' Las Vegas gate record, per Top Rank President Todd duBoef (h/t ESPN's Brett Okamoto):

Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports noted that the fight has set a record in terms of dollar amount but that the rematch between Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis in 1999 is still No. 1 when adjusted for inflation:

Fury and Wilder, who are both undefeated, are set to fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. The two fought to a split decision in December 2018.

Wilder and Fury are also set to make well into the seven figures for this fight, with Iole reporting Thursday that they'll each get $5 million purses in addition to pay-per-view cuts.

The latest Caesars Palace odds list Wilder as a -135 favorite ($135 bet to win $100). Wilder winning by knockout, TKO or disqualification is -120.

Fury is a +115 underdog ($100 bet to win $115).

The 34-year-old Wilder is 42-0-1 with 41 knockouts. Only one of his wins has come via decision, and it was a unanimous one against Bermane Stiverne in January 2015.

The 31-year-old Fury is 29-0-1 with 20 knockouts. He has fought twice since facing Fury, beating Tom Schwarz by second-round TKO and Otto Wallin via unanimous decision.

Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury have waited 14 months to prove who is the better boxer, and they'll finally  get to settle the debate on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

After the two fought to an exhilarating draw in December 2018, Wilder will again put his WBC world heavyweight title on the line against Fury, who lays claim to the lineal championship in boxing's biggest division.

The two can't seem to wait to get into the ring again. They got into brief a shoving match at a pre-fight press conference on Wednesday:

The pressure here is undeniable. Wilder's power has propelled him to the top of a brutal and difficult sport, but he's faced criticism for his lack of top-shelf opposition. The heavyweight division hasn't had much to offer in recent years, but the Bronze Bomber has now beaten the likes of Luis Ortiz twice, and conquering Fury would be his biggest accomplishment yet.

Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs) is one of only two fighters to reach the final bell against Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs). He hasn't lost since defeating the then-undisputed champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, but there was no reign at the top for the Gypsy King.

The 31-year-old spent two-plus years away from the ring, battling drug and mental health issues. He's managed four wins and one draw in his comeback, but Wilder is the only truly dangerous opponent he's faced in that time. Fury needs to win to prove his championship victory was no fluke.

It's a career-defining fight for both men, and the winner will be in prime position to set up a unification fight with Anthony Joshua, which would be one of the biggest and most lucrative heavyweight bouts in years.

Wilder vs. Fury 2 Fight Info

When: Saturday, Feb. 22 at 9 p.m. ET (main event will begin at approximately 11 p.m. ET) 

Where: MGM Grand in Las Vegas

TV: Fox (pay-per-view), BT Sport Box Office (UK only, pay-per-view)

Live stream: ESPN+ and Fox Sports Go (pay-per-view)

Odds to win: Wilder -125 (bet $125 to win $100), Fury +105 (bet $100 to win $105), Draw +2,000

Over/under 10.5 rounds: Over -130, Under +110

Odds are courtesy of Caesars Palace and updated as of Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 a.m. ET.

Wilder is the most dangerous man in boxing. His right hand is a thermonuclear weapon that renders all the best strategies, tactics and physical skills moot. If he dials up the launch codes, you better hope he doesn't find his target.

The 34-year-old isn't afraid to give away rounds at a time waiting for an opportunity to throw a sharp, swift one-two and put an end to proceedings. It's essentially what he did in his last fight against Ortiz, when he stunned the big Cuban in the seventh round after doing next to nothing in the first six.

Even when facing a talented boxers like Ortiz or Fury, Wilder knows the pressure is on his opponent to never break concentration.

"Fighting a guy like Fury, you have to be careful," he said in January, per SportingNews.com's Steven Muehlhausen. "Time goes by so fast in the ring. You're trying to do everything that you prepared for. With what he brings to the table with his boxing skills, you have to have some awareness of the clock. But with my power, it's his job to really watch the clock and try to avoid me for 36 minutes."

Wilder will paw with the jab, using his long limbs to advance on his opponent and cut off the ring. If he can get his rival lined up, he'll attack. The Alabamian is far from insecure. He knows he doesn't need to dazzle, and it's difficult to lure him out of his comfort zone.

Fury, on the other hand, lives to make his opposition uncomfortable.

A born jester, he will trash talk, make funny faces, and use outlandish ring walks to get under his opponent's skin. He has surprisingly quick feet for a man who stands 6'9", and his 85-inch reach allows him to circle and jab from a distance most fighters can only dream of (Wilder's reach is 83 inches by comparison).

If the Briton wants to get in close and wrap up a guy, all of a sudden they have a heavy trunk leaning on them and a forest of limbs to fight through. 

Those tactics helped Fury nearly defeat Wilder the first time around, and they may yet work again. However, he is working with a new trainer this time around in Javan "SugarHill" Steward and has been insisting he's going to make quick work of Wilder.

"We are going to pressure and pressure, put him on the back foot from round one and keep him there," Fury told BBC Sport's Luke Reddy.

"It's going to be an early night. I'm coming for the knockout."

It's a dangerous route to take for the Mancunian. He can't make any mistakes by being aggressive and going for the knockout. He suffered a deep gash in his last fight against Otto Wallin in September. The Swede wasn't able to take advantage of a blood-soaked Fury, but Wilder surely can.

It's entirely possible all the knockout talk is just a bluff, designed to keep Wilder thinking early on while Fury banks a few rounds with the jab. Then again, the British fighter might actually believe it's the best route to victory.

In their first meeting, Fury was knocked down in the ninth and 12th rounds. He got up both times, but there's no guarantee he can do it again. Perhaps he knows that 2,160 seconds is far too many to dance between the ropes with Wilder. It's a long time to stay perfect. 

There's also evidence Wilder's chin may be vulnerable. It hasn't been tested all that often considering he's had dozens of very brief fights, but Ortiz looked like he had the champion on the ropes in the seventh round of their first battle in 2018.

If there's something on that tape Fury believes he can emulate, it could be the shortest path to him holding a heavyweight title once again.

The boxers' height and reach information are courtesy of BoxRec.com

Deontay Wilder will put his WBC world heavyweight title on the line on Saturday when he takes on Tyson Fury in a rematch fans have been clamoring for ever since the judges came to a split-decision draw in their first fight in December 2018.

That bout was an epic battle which ended with one of the most thrilling rounds in recent years. Wilder, the hardest puncher in the sport at the moment, clubbed Fury in the 12th round with a hard right followed by a textbook left hook to the skull.

The elusive Fury had outboxed the American for long stretches of the fight and survived an earlier knockdown in the ninth round, but he looked destined to become another one of the Bronze Bomber's many KO victims. Incredibly, the Briton picked himself up from the canvas and finished the fight.

It was the first time either man had tasted anything over than victory in a professional boxing match, and the two remain undefeated heading into Saturday's clash at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.  

Wilder vs. Fury 2 Fight Info

When: Saturday, Feb. 22 at 9 p.m. ET

Where: MGM Grand in Las Vegas

TV: Fox (pay-per-view), BT Sport Box Office (UK only, pay-per-view)

Live stream: ESPN+, Fox Sports Go (pay-per-view)

Odds (Caesars Palace): Wilder -125 (bet $125 to win $100), Fury +105 (bet $100 to win $105)

For Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs), a win would represent the culmination of a long and difficult comeback journey after he nearly threw away his career in the two years following his win over then-undisputed champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.

The self-styled Gypsy King would once again be a world titleholder with victory Saturday, and thanks to his brash persona, he would be able to call the shots in the heavyweight division.

A win for Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs) would go a long way toward cementing his legacy as one of most fearsome and accomplished heavyweights of any era. In 43 career fights, only Fury and Bermane Stiverne have made it to the final bell.

Wilder has been criticized for his lack of all-around boxing acumen, but his power is undeniable. He's made a great career out of utilizing a long jab and patiently waiting for opportunities to land his power shots. A win over Fury would be silence some of his critics.

So who gets the glory? TalkSport's Michael Benson rounded up the opinions of several current and former heavyweights. Of the eight boxers cited, four are backing Fury (including Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk), three are in Wilder's camp (Charles Martin, Lennox Lewis and David Haye), while one (Dillian Whyte) was undecided.

Haye thinks Wilder gets a stoppage this time around. 

"Fury boxed brilliantly first time around, that was with Ben Davison in his corner. He doesn't have Ben in the corner this time," he told BT Sport (h/t Benson).

"In his last fight, he got a couple of horrendous cuts over his eye. That could open up again, which would mean he'd have the same fight with one eye."

Fury was roughed up by Otto Wallin in what was supposed to be an easy tuneup fight in September. The deep gash has only had a few months to heal. If Wilder splits him again, the 31-year-old will be in deep trouble.

His path to victory likely rests on him using his slick defensive ability and 6'9" frame to frustrate Wilder. It worked well in the first match, and Fury had lots of success with jabbing and moving. If he gets hurt early, though, it becomes a nervy fight for survival against a guy with near-mythic power.

Over at The Ring magazine, they polled 20 people in and around the boxing world, including writers, trainers, boxers, promoters and others. That list favors the champion, with 12 backing Wilder and eight picking Fury to win.

Manager Vadim Kornilov thinks Fury can win, but he noted he might have to be perfect to do so.

"I think Fury is the better boxer and if he doesn't make any mistakes can get the victory," he said. "In reality, it's a 50-50 fight considering Wilder's power which can end the fight at any moment. Fury on points."

This fight may lack the action of the first match with so much at stake for both fighters, but the tension will be close to unbearable throughout. Every second in the ring is an opportunity for Wilder to unleash a one-two and end Fury's night. The danger is always lurking.

Fury's unpredictable nature and the untested pairing with manager Javan "SugarHill" Steward makes him an incredible cypher coming into this fight.

Just about everyone knows what they are going to get from Wilder. The version of Fury that shows up Saturday night could go a long way toward deciding the outcome of this one.

Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury will soon face off in one of the most hotly anticipated rematches in boxing. After an instant classic in Los Angeles in December 2018, in which Fury survived a 12th-round knockdown by Wilder's famously powerful right hand to earn a draw, the two will look to finally prove who is the better heavyweight on Feb. 22 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

Both fighters are big, bold trash talkers and undefeated. Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs) is the champion here, as he holds the WBC world heavyweight title. Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs) likes to lay claim to the unofficial lineal heavyweight championship. He beat Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015 when Klitschko was the undisputed champion, and he hasn't been defeated since then. However, he has no actual title to carry into the ring Feb. 22.

Whoever wins will not only have a belt, but will likely call themselves the top heavyweight and possibly try to set up a megafight with Anthony Joshua, a titleholder once again after redeeming himself against Andy Ruiz Jr. in December.

Here are the latest odds and what you need to know to watch the fight.

Wilder vs. Fury 2 Odds, Fight Info

When: Saturday, Feb. 22 at 9 p.m. ET

Where: MGM Grand in Las Vegas

TV: Fox PPV

Live stream: Fox PPV and ESPN+ PPV

Winner Odds: Wilder -120 (bet $120 to win $100), Fury +100 (bet $100 to win $100)

Over/under: 10.5 rounds

Predictions

The oddsmakers are fairly split on this one. Wilder is a slight favorite, perhaps because he looked better the last time out. The 34-year-old knockout artist was patient against the skilled, determined Luiz Ortiz in a November rematch. He bided his time and waited for Ortiz to make a mistake and leave an opening, sending him crashing to the mat for good with a vicious right hand in the seventh round.

Fury, on the other hand, took a pounding in his most recent match against Otto Wallin in September. Wallin opened up a deep gash over Fury's eye in the third round, forcing the tall, lanky heavyweight to use all of his tricks and pugilistic wisdom to earn a decision that the referee could have taken away had he called the match off early, where Wallin looked the better fighter. Fury survived the ordeal, preserving the megafight against Wilder in the process.

As for singular predictions, one person who hasn't been afraid to share his feelings is MMA superstar Conor McGregor. The Irishman is backing Fury, the Irish Traveller, on Feb. 22.

"He's got a good tough fight, Deontay is a powerful guy," McGregor told BT Sport (h/t Metro's Coral Barry).

"But I think if he keeps his mind strong and keeps his playfulness in there and his sharpness and his elusiveness, I think he can do the job."

Fury is indeed the more skilled boxer. He's elusive and agile for a 6'9" behemoth, capable of playing careful defense and scoring points with a long jab from his tree-trunk arms. Sometimes, it looks incredible, while at other times it can bog down a match. Fury has to be able to avoid Wilder's knockout attempts while still generating enough offense to impress the judges.

Boxer and analyst Abner Mares has also weighed in on the fight on Twitter:

Mares has Wilder winning on points, which may come as a surprise to some. Wilder often concedes rounds as he searches for an opportunity to detonate with his lethal right hand. Fury, 31, seems well-positioned to take advantage of that fight plan, but he has to show he's in control. The first match went to a draw because Wilder was able to hurt Fury with stiff jabs of his own in several rounds. If Fury is too cautious, Wilder might not even need to match him blow for blow because his shots tend to do more damage.

Wilder also believes he's more than just a one-trick pony.

"Of course I can win a fight on the scorecards. Anything is possible in boxing. I'm not worried about my boxing IQ or my level of skill. I'm very confident in what I do and say and that makes me who I am," said Wilder, per BoxingScene.com's Manouk Akopyan. "That's why I'm still undefeated, and every fighter has tasted the canvas. You're witnessing history."

Fury, meanwhile, is talking up his ability to finish Wilder before the judges have a chance to weigh in.

"Deontay knows he was rocked three or four times in the last fight and I didn't have the gas to finish him. This time I can turn that screwdriver until he is gone," said Fury, per PA Media (h/t the Guardian). Fury added Wilder would be knocked out in the second round.

No matter how it goes down, fans will be clamoring for a clear-cut winner this time. The victorious boxer will be in prime position to dictate the heavyweight division and potentially set up a unification bout with Joshua.

Odds courtesy of Caesars Palace and updated as of Monday, Feb. 10.