Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder 2: Six burning questions that need answering heading into heavyweight rematch

The confidence will have spilled over in Tuscaloosa throughout the past few months as Deontay Wilder repeatedly envisages the now infamous 12th round where he connected cleanly and so devastatingly to momentarily turn Tyson Fury‘s world upside down.

Will the fight begin in tense circumstances or has Wilder been convinced of his own power from the first fight to initiate a more frenetic pace? “Rising from the dead,” that’s how Wilder described Fury’s recovery then.

Fury’s range and fleet of foot will bide him time at first, while a reckless approach from Wilder may present openings that the challenger has so firmly claimed he will expose in a more aggressive approach this time around. Is it all bravado or will he fulfil his promise?

Wilder possesses the most intimidating weapon in boxing: the American may telegraph his hellacious right hand, yet it’s often irrelevant due to the force that punctures every opponent’s guard.

Fury’s resurrection in the first fight was incredible in itself, yet the more miraculous occurrence was how the Briton rediscovered the spring in his feet with more than two minutes remaining to not only stay out of reach, but package together shots of his own to turn the tide and momentum in his direction. It is worth remembering that Fury’s powers of recovery could be equally key to this fight as Wilder’s power.

Yet Wilder has hinted at progress in his set-up in his last few performances, notably the devastating follow-up to the jab flicked out against Luis Ortiz last year before that notorious right landed down the middle to turn his lights out. Such trickery may not make Fury flinch on Saturday, but the languid frame of the Briton, his reflexes and survival instincts will surely limit the effectiveness of the American’s power – at least initially.

The outrage failed to fester in Fury in the aftermath of the first fight, yet no matter what happens on Saturday, even an emphatic knockout from the champion, it should not be forgotten that the challenger was harshly treated after surviving 12 fatiguing rounds.

An argument was there to suggest Wilder only clearly pocketed the two rounds he knocked Fury down, yet Phil Edwards scored it a draw (113-113) and Alejandro Rochin awarded him just five rounds (115-111), with Robert Tapper shading it to Fury 8-4 in rounds (114-112). This time the glare will be more intense on the judges, with Fury’s hopes still largely in their hands, no matter the bravado surrounding a shift in strategy to “go for the knockout”. The elephant in the room has not been forgotten by Bob Arum though, Fury’s co-promoter this time, with the iconic Top Rank chief eager to secure the best in the trade.

“I would like to get the best possible judges, and if they’re all American, that’s OK,” Arum said. “In other words, we have an English guy in Fury and an American guy in Wilder. And nobody’s asking for neutral judges. We just want good judges.”

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Ditching Ben Davison and hiring SugarHill Steward was a peculiar move two months out from such an enormous fight, particularly with the aforementioned belief that Fury did enough in the first fight to see his hand raised. Davison, despite limited opposition in the infancy of Fury’s comeback, prepared his fighter supremely, producing careful instructions and provoking the fun-loving entertainer that revelled on that great night three years previously in Dusseldorf.

Perhaps Fury’s vehement claim of being wronged 18 months ago in Los Angeles provides a hint as to why Steward has replaced Davison, as Emmanuel Steward’s protege insists it was “a fair decision”.

“I believe in one thing, one thing only, if you get a knockout it’s the only 100 per cent sure way you know you’ve won the fight. That’s the way I was trained and I’m a strong believer,” Steward told World Boxing News.

“Get the knockout you don’t have to worry about the decision of the judges.”

Take from that what you will, but when the opportunity arises, Fury may well be encouraged to close the show in what would amount to a legacy-defining performance, given he has already masterfully outwitted Wladimir Klitschko.

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There were certainly signs of agitation during the first fight from Wilder that Fury had cracked the code and would prove too elusive for his blockbuster power punches. It took until the ninth round for Fury to appear flustered: a combination of the placement of his feet lacking the precision from the previous half an hour, along with the multiple glancing shots.

Wilder’s patience not only matters leading up to landing a meaningful shot, but also in the moments after; it took Fury barely five seconds after referee Jack Reiss restarted the fight after that first knockdown before he wrapped up the Bronze Bomber, buying precious seconds to recover.

If Wilder is to prevail this time, a meticulous plan surrounding how he attempts to finish will be crucial.

Fury’s move to link up with Top Rank was seen as bold from the American company’s perspective; were they merely hoovering up the best available heavyweight talent with Anthony Joshua and Wilder out of their control? Or did they envisage Fury becoming a star in his own right on the other side of the Atlantic? Arum made the bold claim that the rematch would produce two million pay-per-view buys in the United States, with that number in the UK likely to be well below half that number due to the projected start time of 4am.

After rolling Fury out against little-known Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin, now is the time to test whether their investment has truly paid off? Both fighters needed a dance partner to secure true crossover appeal in the sport’s most lucrative market and Top Rank will be waiting nervously to see whether Fury’s prolonged tour of exposure has been worthwhile, with the winner primed to claim the throne of the sport’s most glamorous division.