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SPORTS ROUNDUP: ONCE AGAIN FURY VERSUS WILDER By Maloney L. Samaco PhilBoxing.com Wed, 05 Feb 2020  WBC world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will battle it out in a much-awaited rematch on February 22 in Las Vegas, Nevada. So far, Fury was a favorite in the sports books. "The Gypsy King" has a new trainer in "Sugar" Hill Steward who could easily devise a proper game plan once again. Both giants are now training behind closed doors and the fans are expecting that the two fighters are determined to win convincingly this time. * * * In their first fight, CompuBox statistics showed Wilder landed 71 punches of 430 thrown (17%), and Fury landed 84 of his 327 thrown (26%). Wilder was less accurate in punches as compared to his previous fights. Fury connected more shots than Wilder in nine out of the twelve rounds. After the fight Wilder stated, "I think with the two knockdowns, I definitely won the fight. We poured our hearts out tonight. We're both warriors. I rushed my punches. I didn't sit still. I was too hesitant. I started overthrowing the right hand, and I just couldn't adjust. I was rushing my punches. That's something I usually don't do." Fury answered, "We're on away soil. I got knocked down twice, but I still believe I won that fight. I'm being a total professional here. God bless America. The 'Gypsy King' has returned. That man is a fearsome puncher, and I was able to avoid that. The world knows I won the fight. I hope I did you all proud after nearly three years out of the ring. I showed good heart to get up. I came here tonight, and I fought my heart out." * * * Fury is rated as the world's No. 1 heavyweight by The Ring, No. 2 by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and No. 4 by BoxRec. He has a pro record of 29-0-1 with 20 KOs (66.67% KO rate). Wilder is rated as the world's No. 2 ranked heavyweight by BoxRec, The Ring magazine and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. He has a pro record of 42-0-1 with 41 KOs (95.35% KO rate). * * * The winner of this fight will be considered as "the best heavyweight on the planet." This happens after unified WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO champion Anthony Joshua suffered a shocking defeat in 2019. Joshua went down four times and was badly beaten by Andy Ruiz but took his revenge six months later. An overweight Ruiz fought Joshua in Saudi Arabia where he was easily outclassed and outsmarted. * * * WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder was disgusted over Andy Ruiz's lopsided loss to Anthony Joshua last December in Saudi Arabia. "I was very disappointed in Andy Ruiz, maybe because I was so invested in it. I really wanted to see him really achieve greatness. Especially where he came from in boxing, almost getting evicted from his apartment. I don't know what eviction feels like -- and I never want to know what that feels like to be homeless -- but that was the verge that he was on, and an angel came and saved him. Gave him an opportunity, a GREAT opportunity to be a megastar [against Joshua]," Wilder was quoted by Steve Kim of ESPN. Wilder asserted that Ruiz beat Joshua, knocked him down four times and had "the biggest fight of his life" but he let it all go in the rematch. * * * Freddie Roach said that his favorite protégé Manny Pacquiao is a big fan of the late Kobe Bryant and was so excited when the former Los Angeles Lakers superstar visited the Filipino icon while he was practicing at the Wild Card Boxing Gym during an NBA lockout. “He went crazy when Kobe came in that day,” Roach told the New York Post. “That was unbelievable. It was the best day of his life, I think.” Pacquiao was preparing that time for his third fight against Mexican arch foe Juan Manuel Marquez in November 2011. * * * “Manny asked him about basketball and shooting, and how to become a better player,” Roach remembered the unforgettable moment of the two sporting legends. “He’s not shy about asking questions. Manny still plays basketball every day. He has an indoor court at his house. He’s a fanatic about basketball. I know losing Kobe is a really great loss to Manny, as well as the whole world.” Bryant and Pacquiao are just of the same 41 years of age when "Black Mamba" died of a helicopter crash with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. * * * On his incoming unification fight with Johnriel Casimero, Naoya Inoue was quoted by AsianBoxing: "It's very exciting and I want to fight soon. It's meaningful to have a three belt match. My first fight in Las Vegas, I want to clear it safely and move on to the next. Las Vegas is the home of boxing and I'm proud to be the main event." The Japanese IBF and WBA bantamweight champion has something to say about the Filipino WBO titlist: "He is a wild fighter with the fierceness of a Filipino. He has a dangerous, hard punch. I want to fight while paying attention to [his punching power]." * * * Casimero has fought in nine countries outside the Philippines, namely, United Kingdom, United States, Mexico, China, Thailand, Panama, Argentina, South Africa, and Nicaragua. Inoue has fought in only two countries outside Japan, namely, United States and United Kingdom. * * * Top-rated Cuban welterweight contender Yordenis Ugas (25-4, 12 KOs) defeated Mike Dallas Jr. (23-4-2, 11 KOs) via a seventh-round technical knockout in a match held at the Beau Rivage Resort Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. Ugas defended himself well sharp defense prevented Dallas Jr. to land enough punches. Ugas connected 106 of his 203 power punches for 52% accuracy. Ugas lost a closely contested split decision to the then-WBC champion Shawn Porter last March in title a fight where the Cuban showed to the boxing world he is a worthy contender in the elite welterweight division. * * * The 2020 NBA All-Star Game jerseys are tailor made to honor the late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant who died along with seven others, in a helicopter crash on January 26. All players on the team led by their captain LeBron James will wear the No. 2 jersey in honor of Bryant’s daughter Gianna in the Mamba Academy while the team led by captain Giannis Antetokounmpo will wear Kobe's No. 24 in the Lakers. The players of both teams will likewise wear jersey patches emblazoned with nine stars to honor all nine people who lost their lives in the tragedy. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.  |
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