Depending on what side of the border you are on, and whether you ever really wanted it in the first place, there is a special reason to give thanks this upcoming weekend: Fury – Wilder III, or “The Fight No One Really Asked For, We Didn’t Really Need, But Now There Seems to Be Quite a Bit of Hype Surrounding It, And I’m Actually Super Pumped”. For all of us Canadians, dinner at mom’s house has suddenly turned into a PPV fight party night where as soon as the turkey is dusted off and the dishes are put away (we’re fight fans, not animals), our clan can set up in front of the TV for what is guaranteed to at least be a unique night of entertainment.
Preliminary Card
The only fight I’m really interested in here is Robeisy Ramirez. The highly touted prospect who lost his debut to a +5000 construction worker will always have a stain on his record, albeit one he avenged. Ramirez faces the 17-0 Orlando Gonzalez who doesn’t really have any names on his record, and Ramirez should win easily. That being said, considering his first fight, I feel like there will always be a question mark regarding Ramirez and that makes him all the more exciting. Ramirez KO 6.
Undercard
There are two fights and I hope to catch both while eating gluten free stuffing. The first is Julian J Rock Williams, who continues to try to get his career back on track after a devastating KO loss to Jeison Rosario in his first title defense. It was an embarrassing homecoming for J Rock, and it seems in hindsight he suffered from both nerves, as well as the unfortunate challenge of having a very difficult first defense. He’s trying to fight his way back to a title shot, but with a now suspect chin, he may never be at elite level again. He’s facing a relatively easy opponent in the 12-4 Vladimir Hernandez so I feel fairly confident with a J Rock KO 9.
Next we have Edgar Berlanga, the rising Top Rank 168lb star, who just recently lost his streak of 16 straight KOs. Berlanga is an exciting fighter who lacks polish. His most recent fight showed some vulnerability as he appeared frustrated at times when he could not finish the fight. His opponent Coceres is an adequate step up, but if he got KOed by Billy Joe Saunders I feel pretty confident Berlanga will do the same. Berlanga KO 2.
Main Card
A heavyweight extravaganza. The card opens with Jared The Real Big Baby Miller, oops, I mean Anderson. Seriously though, do we need two Big Babies at heavyweight? As for his opponent, he’s a Russian heavyweight who hasn’t fought since 2019, has never fought a live body, but has a fancy looking 22-0 record, so apparently it’s a step up. Big Baby II by KO 3.
The final three fights are the most intriguing. Efe Ajagba goes against fellow undefeated heavyweight Frank Sanchez. These are the fights boxing needs: two legitimate rising almost-contenders looking to take their game to the next level. Similar power, similar opponents, a very difficult contest to predict. I’m going to go with the underdog Ajagba, simply because the pay off is better at +170. Ajagba KO 6.
Next a rematch we never expected, veteran gatekeeper Robert Helenius vs Adam Kownacki. You may remember Helenius stunningly upsetting Kownacki in a barn burner at the Barclays Centre in March 2020. Or you may not remember it because it was a week before COVID shut down North America, and life as we know it took a different turn, and reminiscing about the Helenius upset was fairly low on our priority list. Either way, Kownacki gets his shot at redemption here, and a chance to put himself back into title contention. Both have promised a KO, and if the first fight was any indication, this one should be explosive as well. I think Kownacki gets his revenge. Kownacki KO 8.
Deontay Wilder’s Revenge Fight
We get it. The second fight wasn’t even close. Fury was a monster. Wilder was exposed. We’ve heard the tale. But did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? Fury’s hubris may have reached a zenith. He has had COVID twice, there are rumours of a unhealthy training camp, and the man has a history of not exactly being reliable. Wilder on the other hand, has changed his trainers, and by the looks of it, had an excellent camp. Nevermind the rumours surround the first fight (#glovegate, #snakesinthecamp, #heavysuit #eggweights) Wilder legitimately seems hungry and determined to right his perceived wrongs. Regardless of how the fight goes, the week leading up to it should be filled with entertainment, as both men are excellent showmen. Hell, I’m even peaking for the walkouts, considering how much fanfare they generated in the second fight. That being said, I have a soft spot for Wilder, I think he’s an eventual hall of famer, and I hope he goes balls out and knocks Fury out by the third round. Wilder KO3.