Mancuso: Intrepid Show Is Wilder and Fury

Intrepid, and WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and Tysn Fury the challenger stood tall Tuesday afternoon on the deck of the iconic ship. They took over New York City in the second stop of a three day tour to promote their championship fight December 1st on Showtime Pay-Per View. Ali and Frazier stood tall many times in New York but this was epic.

And this was the latest script to promote a championship fight, perhaps not as dramatic as the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor circus of last year.  Comparable, though as to how they play to the camera with theatrics and tons of media attention.

That’s all good, playing to the camera but the same thing was done Monday in London. Wednesday the script will continue in Los Angeles, the final stop in the host city of the fight at the Staples Center.

This is not the heavyweight title fight that fans are looking for. Wilder has been seeking the unification bout with Anthony Joshua who holds the other title belts. That fight is still in the plan for next year at some point.

So for now, the heavyweight division that once was the face of boxing, well that belongs to Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury. And it resembles a bit of Muhammad Ali and his persona to work up a crowd. 

 The welterweights at 147, and the other divisions that have some of the top faces in the sport have been getting the attention. But this is Tyson Fury, a fighter who knows how to perform maybe better than fight before the crowds and cameras.

And Fury, gives that look and would have the appeal if  he made the transition to the scripts and cameras of pro wrestling and the WWE.

Take it as it is. This is still a heavyweight championship fight. Wilder, on the deck of the Intrepid was not intimidated. Script or not, this fight has implications and Wilder has no intentions of losing that opportunity to unify the titles and have that mega fight with Anthony Joshua.

Fury, a showman, is still a formidable opponent. He is a former IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion and undefeated in 27 fights, known as the lineal champion.  There is this unpredictable element about Fury, who can easily win a popularity contest.

“This is the Tyson Fury show,” he said.  And it can be that way if the final result goes his way with a stoppage and not the 12-round decision. Remember, it was Fury who ended the heavyweight championship reign of Wladimir Klitschko with a decision in 2015.  

He was the underdog then and will be again on December 1st in Los Angeles. The face of the heavyweight division has changed regardless if Tyson Fury is the latest showman fighter from England to promote a fight.

Is it Conor McGregor? No, because Tyson Fury is a professional fighter and the record proves so. Bypass the theatrics, battles with drugs, and mental illness. He will be a threat to Deontay Wilder and this is a huge fight of the year.

“I truly intend to knock him out,” Wilder says.  He does have that power to do it and the Intrepid Deck at times Tuesday afternoon looked like a war of fists was on the horizon. They went face-to-face and the theatrics of this script continued from the day before.

However, there won’t be a script on the first day of December. In the ring a heavyweight title match will decide where the division is going. Wilder and Joshua does present a better matchup, but Tyson Fury draws interest and has that charisma as Mr. unpredictable in and out of the ring.  

Again, the face of the heavyweight division does not seem like a good fit for Tyson Fury. It is Deontay Wilder with the old school approach and he goes with the flow.  

“The next step to Joshua,” he says.  In the meantime let the drama continue to unfold with the final stop of this scripted press tour. It will all be for real and the heavyweight title is back in business.

Comment: [email protected]  Twitter@Ring786  Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso

 

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About the Author

Rich Mancuso

Rich Mancuso is a regular contributor at NY Sports Day, covering countless New York Mets, Yankees, and MLB teams along with some of the greatest boxing matches over the years. He is an award winning sports journalist and previously worked for The Associated Press, New York Daily News, Gannett, and BoxingInsider.com, in a career that spans almost 40 years.

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