LAS VEGAS – After spending 12 rounds in the ring against Tyson Fury, Otto Wallin expects Fury to defeat Deontay Wilder in their rematch.
Wallin isn’t convinced Fury will aggressively go after Wilder, as Fury repeatedly has predicted. The lineal heavyweight champion is more likely, according to Wallin, to out-box Wilder the way Wallin thinks he did during their first fight.
Wallin, who lost a unanimous decision to Fury on September 14 at T-Mobile Arena, is as interested as other observers, though, to see if Fury can withstand Wilder’s power again.
“I think Fury will win, but you never know with Wilder because he has that big punch, and it only takes one shot, of course,” Wallin told BoxingScene.com. “He can end it at any time. But I believe that Fury is the better boxer and he has more tools to work with. And I believe that he can adapt better in the rematch. I think he’ll win on points. He did hurt Wilder a few times in the first fight, I believe. But can he take him out? I’m not sure. Wilder can take Fury out with any shot, but I don’t think Wilder can win a decision. He probably can’t, unless he drops him a few times.”
The 34-year-old Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and the 31-year-old Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs), of Manchester, England, fought to a controversial split draw in December 2018 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Wilder won 115-111 on the card of judge Alejandro Rochin, but judge Robert Tapper scored that 12-rounder 114-112 for Fury. Judge Phil Edwards scored their first fight a draw (113-113).
“I felt Fury probably won,” Wallin said. “I was fine with a draw, but I didn’t think that Wilder won.”
Wilder is now a slight favorite to defeat Fury in the main event of a four-fight pay-per-view show ESPN and FOX Sports will distribute from MGM Grand Garden Arena ($79.99 in HD; 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).
Sweden’s Wallin, meanwhile, is scheduled to face Australia’s Lucas Browne (29-2, 25 KOs) in a 10-rounder Showtime will televise as part of a three-bout broadcast March 28 from Park MGM’s Park Theater in Las Vegas. Wallin (20-1, 13 KOs, 1 NC) hasn’t fought since suffering his first professional defeat to Fury five months ago.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
