Fury: Wilder Has Unusual Power - But Who Has He Knocked Out?
By Michael Rosenthal
LOS ANGELES – Tyson Fury acknowledges what is generally believed to be Deontay Wilder’s greatest strength, his punching power. Wilder has stopped all 39 of his opponents, having KO’d the only fighter to take him the distance – Bermane Stiverne – in their rematch.
That said, Fury was compelled to ask the question: But who has Wilder knocked out?
The only name that jumps out is Cuban contender Luis Ortiz, who hurt Wilder in the seventh round but was stopped himself in the 10th. Fury isn’t impressed with knockouts of other Wilder victims Artur Szpilka, Chris Arreola and Stiverne over the past few years.
“I think he has unusual punching power but there is another element to it as well, two sides of the coin,” Fury said.
“He didn’t fight anyone until he had 30 fights, not a live opponent. Even in his 31st or 32nd fight, he was fighting the likes of Jason Gavern, who’s just a journeyman. And then when he stepped up a level, people were thinking, 'He must be a big puncher since he knocked out 32 opponents.' They didn’t look at who he’s knocked out. If you match very easily, you could get a hundred knockouts. That’s what it is.
“A lot of people were already afraid before they go in there, like they were against Mike Tyson. They were looking for a comfy place on the canvas. I’m not looking for a comfy place on the canvas for myself. I’m looking for a comfy place on the canvas to nail him and drop him like a tree. That’s what I’m looking to do. It’s a fight. I don’t care about getting punched in the fight. I’ve been down and got back up, I’ve been hurt. I’ve pulled wins out before, many times. It’s a fight.”
Fury (27-0, 19 KOs) went so far as to predict that he is the one will score a knockout on Saturday even though he’s not perceived as a big puncher.
He has stopped nine of his last 12 opponents, including his rematch with Dereck Chisora in November 2014, but is coming off a points victory over Francesco Pianeta in his most recent fight.
