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Deontay Wilder's five-fight form guide ahead of Tyson Fury clash

A look at Wilder's five previous fights ahead of his heavyweight rematch against Tyson Fury.

Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury will collide for a third time this weekend in Las Vegas.
The American is bidding to deliver an upset and become a two-time heavyweight world champion.

Let's take a closer look at the Bronze Bomber's five most recent bouts in chronological order ahead of the Las Vegas encounter.

In article - Off the canvas - 900x600

1. Deontay Wilder vs Luis Ortiz - Mar 3, 2018 - TKO10

Having defended his WBC title on six previous occasions, Deontay Wilder would take a significant step-up in class when he took on the dangerous Cuban southpaw, Luis "King-Kong" Ortiz at the Barclays Center in New York.
The defending champion had endured plenty of criticism for some of his earlier title defences with the calibre of opponent often derided. None more so than a badly out-of-shape Bermane Stiverne, who had suffered a brutal and somewhat pathetic first round KO in Wilder's most recent outing before this bout.
Certainly, some of those criticisms carried some weight. Despite owning a portion of the heavyweight title, a roll of "honour" that included defences against Gerald Washington, Arthur Szpillka, and Johann Duhaupas hardly offered the Alabama native the legitimacy he craved. However, in Luis Ortiz, he had finally found an opponent that would answer at least some of the critics.
Boasting crafty southpaw skills and a hugely impressive amateur pedigree, Ortiz, despite his advancing years, was widely considered to be the most formidable challenge of Wilder's career to date.
And so it proved.
Outboxing the champion for much of the fight, Ortiz had Wilder on the brink in the final minute or round seven, launching a vicious and sustained assault that would leave the Alabama native badly shaken and virtually out on his feet as he staggered and stumbled his way back to the corner.
Fortunately, or perhaps with the helping hand of a switched on corner, Wilder would be offered a timely delay with some "misplaced" water on the canvas, ensuring a badly needed moment of recovery from the furious bombast endured in round seven.
Fighting back with tremendous bravery and perhaps capitalising on the ageing Cuban's dwindling stamina, Wilder would launch a series of his infamous windmilling blows in round 10 - flooring Ortiz twice on his way to a concussive TKO victory and with it, earnedthe biggest win of his career to extend his unbeaten record to 40-0.

2. Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury - Dec 1, 2018 - Draw

Following his exciting and somewhat vilifying win over Ortiz, Wilder would raise the stakes even higher for his next bout with the lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury returning from a three-year lay-off to face the unbeaten Alabama slugger.

Fury, who had endured a miserable period following the zenith of his stunning upset win over former divisional ruler Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, had been largely written off both by fans and the media coming into the bout.

While he had managed to shed over ten stone in the year before the fight, a lack of competitive action suggested the Gypsy King could be in for a long night in the City of Angels.
However, in what must go down as one of the fights of the century, Fury would largely outbox the defending champion, using a vastly superior skillset to dominate and outclass a confused and, at times, bewildered Wilder.
Of course, with a loaded gun of a right hand, the champion was always an active threat in the fight, particularly following a flash knockdown of Fury in round nine before the remarkable events that would follow in round twelve.
Entering the final stanza, and perhaps sensing his moment of redemption was near, Fury would walk into a brutal Wilder combination that would leave the Manchester-born fighter prone on the canvas. Game over...or was it?
As Deontay danced in celebration, the fight seemed certain to be called to a halt. But in a moment that will live forever in the annals of this great sport, Fury - like a man possessed - would rise from the sporting equivalent of death to somehow beat Jack Reiss' 10-count, leaving a visibly confused Wilder as stupefied as the rest of us watching on that fateful night.
With both men reaching the final bell, a draw, while probably a less than deserved result for Wilder, somehow felt just about right given the extraordinary and brilliant end to the bout.
However, given the high drama of the occasions and the controversial nature of the scoring, a rematch seemed more than a mere inevitably.

3. Deontay Wilder vs Dominic Breazeale - May 18, 2019 - KO1

Six months on from his controversial draw with Fury, Deontay Wilder would return to the ring to take on once-beaten challenger Dominic Breazeale at the Barclays Center in New York.

Having gone seven rounds with Anthony Joshua in his previous world title challenge, Breazeale was expected to provide at least some resistance to the WBC champion. However, any notions of a competitive contest would be quickly dispelled in a quick-fire display of Wilder's furious punching power.
Breazeale, perhaps sensing a degree of vulnerability in the champion, would begin the fight by taking the centre of the ring as he looked to impose his size and strength on Wilder.
However, walking into successive big right hands, Breazeale was shaken badly inside the opening 90 seconds of the opening stanza. While there was a momentary response from the challenger in landing a big right hand of his own, Wilder would close the show with a devastating power punch, leaving the Calfornia native prone on the canvas with just under a minute remaining in the round.
While the challenger certainly appeared to have got his game plan all wrong, this fight would once again demonstrate the freakish power that exists within the right hand of Wilder. In his 42nd bout, he had scored his 40th KO and the 19th in round one alone.

4. Deontay Wilder vs Luis Ortiz - Nov 23, 2019 - KO7

Following his rapid win over the out-gunned Breazeale, Wilder would face the second rematch of his career with Luis Ortiz looking to gain revenge for his 10th round stoppage loss in 2018.
Set for the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the Cuban would again largely outbox the champion for much of the opening six rounds using his southpaw stance and pawing jab to outbox the champion who seemed to be struggling with the superior boxing skills of the crafty veteran.
Indeed, with Ortiz ahead on the judges' scorecards, Wilder seemed to be in danger of letting his heavyweight crown slip. But in a blink or you'll miss it moment, the WBC king landed another brilliant right-hand finisher, leaving Ortiz on the seat of his pants as referee Kenny Bayless counted him out, thus securing a 10th successive title defence for the Bronze Bomber.
Oh, and that KO would earn Wilder The Ring Magazine Knockout of The Year award for 2019. Not too shabby.

Wilder Ortiz

5 Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury - Feb 22, 2020 - TKO 7

Feeling re-energized from his pair of exciting wins over Breazeale and Ortiz, next-up for Wilder would be the third rematch of his career against the only man he had yet to vest inside the ring - Tyson Fury.
While most boxing scribes and fans alike had considered Wilder somewhat fortunate to claim a draw in their first bout, Team Bomb Squad was in a confident mood ahead of the rematch - particularly with Fury struggling somewhat in his previous bout against Otto Wallin, earning 47 stitches to a cut eye during a hard-fought points decision victory.
Indeed, while the Gypsy King had been criticised in some quarters for the less than stellar nature of his two previous opponents in Wallin and Tom Schwarz, Wilder, in contrast, had enjoyed marked praise for his pair of concussive knockouts against Ortiz and Breazeale.
However, in the lead-up to the rematch, Fury had spoken about his intention to take the fight to Wilder, meet him in the centre of the ring and settle it like men. While such talk seemed like the expected bravado of a man with the confidence of a sporting Lazarus, Fury would prove good to his word in what must go down as one of the best heavyweight performances in a generation.
From the moment he began his now-iconic and entirely suitably Patsy Kline styled "Crazy" ring walk, Fury's destiny seemed almost pre-ordained. Boxing with controlled aggression, subtle faints and outstanding ring generalship, the Gypsy King would dominate the fight.
He floored Wilder twice in both the third and fifth rounds before a final flurry in round seven brought the bout to its rightful conclusion with trainer Mark Breland's timely throwing in of the towel.
While that compassionate decision would ridiculously cost Breland his job, the storm of desperate excuses that would follow from the Bomb Squad only served to illustrate the broken will of a champion who just couldn't respond to the challenge in front of him. The bully had been bullied and Fury would have his own slice of American Pie in more ways than one.
Now, after a long 18 months, and working under the tutelage of Malik Scott, the dethroned former champion will get the opportunity to fight, and right the wrongs of that painful night in Las Vegas as he faces his boxing kryptonite for a third and surely conclusive instalment.
Will it be another repeat or the ultimate fighting revenge? Let the games begin.

Read more: Betting preview - Tyson Fury backed to repeat win over Deontay Wilder

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