🥊 The Epic Fight Boxing Deserves

Wilder-Fury II has everything a boxing fan could want — which makes it the greatest boxing match in 20 years. This is going to be epic. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS]( In today’s FOX Sports Insider: Boxing’s biggest fight in 20 years takes center stage ... Dwyane Wade shares a very human concern based on his history ... and there’s reportedly a new favorite in the chase for Tom Brady. Okay, heavyweight boxing, here it is. Here is your chance. You’ve got our attention. You’ve found two legitimate stars, fine fighters and compelling characters who are the perfect foil for each other. You’ve got the right matchup, with an historically explosive knockout master up against a defensive wizard who knows how to hurl leather of his own. You’ve got a pair of undefeateds who have, either by circumstance or design, developed a blistering seam of acrimony and beef between themselves. In short, you’re giving us the heavyweight fight we’ve waited 20 years for, and, in return, you’re getting a chance to throw things back to a time when the big guys ruled the fight game and were among the biggest stars in sports. Now, just don’t mess it up. We’re rooting for you. When Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury step into the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday (9 p.m. ET; [order now on FOX pay-per-view]( it will be 447 days since they first did battle in a remarkable draw in Los Angeles and a virtual eternity since there was a heavyweight bout America cared this much about. [STORY IMAGE 1] Wilder, the outrageously powerful, concrete-fisted Alabaman, was behind on the scorecards going into the final round of the first duel before sending Fury tumbling with a crushing one-two that looked set to turn the lights out at Staples Center. However, Fury did the unthinkable by opening his eyes fully at the count of five, forcing his way back to his feet, and hearing something most Wilder opponents don’t — the bell to end the fight. Many thought he had done more than enough in the earlier rounds to get the decision, but it was ruled a draw. “I know I won, and Wilder knows I won,” Fury said. “He needed to knock me out in the last round to win and he couldn’t do it. Forget about the judges, we both know who the better man was — and it will be again.” Wilder and Fury shoved each other angrily at the press conference on Wednesday, leading to the laughable ruling from the Nevada State Athletic Commission that they would be banned from conducting the traditional face-off after Friday’s weigh in. If anything, it only increases the anticipation. The pair have talked a lot in the lead up to Saturday and in some ways have talked the clash, for Wilder’s WBC belt, into a greater sense of relevance. Super Bowl ads were part of a big promotional push, with the fight a collaboration between rival promoters Bob Arum and Al Haymon. Some of the chatter has been questionable. Wilder has spoken of wishing to have a “body on my record.” Fury, who takes clowning to a whole new level, talked of how a vital part of his fight preparations was to perform a certain act on his wife. “When I knock you out, go do stand-up comedy,” Wilder told him. “You got a future there.” [STORY IMAGE 2] None of it has reduced the buzz. The modern world has a voracious appetite for hype and will accept — and maybe enjoy — even the most outrageous comments in the name of promotion. And for boxing, there lies the simmering, tantalizing potential that this could be the one, the fight that breaks the sport back into the mainstream. “We talk about the golden age of the heavyweight division,” The Athletic’s Lance Pugmire told me. “Well, this is a golden opportunity to get back there, or close to it. The division felt like it fell asleep for a long time. Now, you have this perfect mix: two larger-than-life figures, great fighters, who matchup in a way that guarantees a great battle.” I have had some interactions with each man. Before the money and the bombast, in 2008, I covered Wilder at the Beijing Olympics, back when he was a complete unknown only three years into boxing. As the United States team floundered amid tension between the coaching staff and the fighters, Wilder kept his mouth shut and his guard up, and came away with the team’s only medal, a bronze. He was quietly spoken back then, none of the trash talk or screams or entourage. He was shy almost, having gotten into boxing to help pay for his infant daughter’s medical treatment, and didn’t know what the future held. After his quarterfinal win, Wilder walked through the media interview area, and had to step around his opponent Mohammad Arjaoui, who he had just beaten via controversial countback. Arjaoui, while trying to explain his loss to hordes of Moroccan journalists, was howling with anguish, tears streaming down his face. “He okay?” questioned Wilder, to an official. You can only wonder what hype value the Wilder of today might extract from having reduced a rival to such a state. [STORY IMAGE 3] As for Fury, even when he beat Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 to become champion, his life was understated, to say the least. No private jets and five-figure suits back then — after winning the title in Germany his group drove through the Netherlands and Belgium in order to take a passenger ferry home, as it was more financially expedient than flying. Fury had agreed to an interview with me at the ferry terminal. The only problem was, he had mistakenly thought he was leaving from the same Belgian city that he’d arrived at a week earlier. And so, as his scheduled boat ride departed 60 miles away, bemused onlookers on a rainy afternoon at Zeebrugge ferry port were treated to the sight of a giant man with three title belts trying frantically to rebook his trip home. None of them seemed to know who he was. Even in Belgium, they probably do now. [STORY IMAGE 4] As fight night approaches, there is already talk of a trilogy clash next year, and the way Wilder and Fury have taken over the heavyweight landscape has pushed Anthony Joshua, who seemed set to rule the division, aside. Joshua looms as a mouthwatering opponent for whoever wins this weekend, but for now, it is all about these two — the ones, who, after all this time, are making us care about the heavyweights again. They are both unapologetic. Wilder is fearlessly loud and revels in the reality that being able to render a human unconscious more effectively than anyone else alive gives you a certain kind of aura. Fury is willfully outlandish, from his clothes to his comments, permanently goofy outside the ring but utterly focused within it. It is a fight boxing deserves, one we were waiting for even when we didn’t know it. It has that special feel to it, the one heavyweight fights were missing for far too long. It’s here now. [Order Wilder-Fury II on FOX pay-per-view — the main card begins Saturday at 9 p.m. ET!]( [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Aamna Mohdin, The Guardian: Tyson Fury’s struggle with his mental health was ridiculed by his opponent in the run-up to the most anticipated heavyweight title fight in decades. ‘Don’t you ever forget that when I found you, you were strung out on coke. You were like a big house, contemplating killing yourself,’ Deontay Wilder said after an intense five-minute stare-down. But for other boxers and mental health experts, Fury’s candid honesty about his struggle with depression and his journey back in the ring is something to be celebrated.“ Lance Pugmire, The Athletic: “Whether Wilder wins or loses against Fury, his legacy in Tuscaloosa should remain unchanged. The statue will still go up. The children will still flock to him at public appearances. But winning creates momentum, and not just for his boxing career. Some believe Fury out-boxed Wilder and should’ve won the first bout 15 months ago despite being dropped twice. But rematches have been good to Wilder following his impressive second looks at Bermane Stiverne (first-round knockout) and the seventh-round finish of Luis Ortiz.” Deontay Wilder, via ESPN: “Even more impressive was because Fury said after the fight that his lights just went out, and he didn't even know how he got on the ground or how he got up. To go through all of that or not even know that you're doing it, it's like a zombie or something. But it was entertaining and made the hype for the rematch that much greater because the first fight was controversial.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - The Sixers struggled more than they should have against the Nets on Thursday night, but [ESPN’s Kirk Goldsberry pushes back]( against the idea Philly has a Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons problem. - The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo are just over five months away, which means there are fears about what impact the coronavirus could have on the Games, [Charlie Campbell reports for Time.]( - Dwyane Wade made over $120 million in salary alone during his NBA career. [As Brian Sozzi explains at Yahoo Finance]( Wade still worries about money, though, largely because of his life story. [THE BRADY HUNCH] [THE BRADY HUNCH] Wait ... do we actually have a favorite in the Tom Brady Sweepstakes? According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that’s the case — and it’s not the Patriots. The NFL insider recently appeared on The Rich Eisen Show to share information from one of his colleagues that the Tennessee Titans appear to have pole position, [via CBS Boston:]( “[ESPN sports reporter] Jeff Darlington basically … I mean, handicapped the Titans as the favorite right now. Which I was like, ‘Whoa. OK. I knew that Tennessee was an option,’ but he made it out to be more of an option than I realized it to be. And in his mind, to rank the teams right now, would be Tennessee, Las Vegas, and New England.” [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( How much speculation can be done off of a six-second video? Knowing the internet, the answer to that question is, “All of it. Just ... just all of it.” And while the Cowboys might not exactly be answering Dez Bryant’s texts, apparently the Kansas City Chiefs are interested in the wide receiver — or, at the very least, their QB is. We’ll let the armchair quarterbacks break down the route, the throw, and the catch; meanwhile, we’ll be daydreaming about a Chiefs offense with yet another weapon at its disposal. [VIEWER'S GUIDE] WWE Friday Night SmackDown (FOX, 8 p.m. ET) On the last SmackDown before Thursday’s Super ShowDown, Goldberg returns, as do The Bella Twins, while Naomi and Carmella vie for a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Title. No. 3 Kansas vs. No. 1 Baylor (ESPN, Saturday, 12 p.m. ET) The Bears have staved off “The Curse of No. 1” so far this season, but the Jayhawks are out for revenge after Baylor went into Allen Fieldhouse and came away with a win in January. Wilder vs. Fury II (FOX PPV, Saturday, 9 p.m. ET) What more do we need to say? Two of the sport’s titans enter the ring on Saturday night for what should be one of the greatest boxing matches of all time. [Order it now on FOX pay-per-view](. DC Defenders vs. Los Angeles Wildcats (FS1, Sunday, 6 p.m. ET) At 2-0 and with just three touchdowns surrendered so far this season, the Defenders are the cream of the XFL crop. They travel to Los Angles to take on Josh Johnson and the Wildcats in Week 3. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Wilder-Fury II — Both fighters to be knocked down: +700 If you don’t have a rooting interest in this fight, why not root for the most possible drama? As you well know by now, Wilder and Fury can drop bombs. And as Fury showed in the first fight, they can take a pounding and keep going, too. So if both fighters hit the canvas on Saturday, you’ll know you’re watching an epic bout — and you could be in for a little bit of a win of your own. A new FOX Sports app and website is coming. [Click here]( to be notified when the reimagined app is available. [WHAT THEY SAID] “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses — behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” — Muhammad Ali [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download the FOX Sports app for live scores and streaming [App Store]( [Google Play]( Available on: [tvOS] [Roku] [fireTV] [androidtv] [XBOX] [Google chromecast] [tvOS] [fireTV] [androidtv] [XBOX] [Google chromecast] Forwarded this message? [Sign up](. Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2020 FOX Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. FOX.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, CA 90213-0900