Wilder, Fury ready for Vegas rematch

The most-anticipated heavyweight showdown in nearly two decades will transfix the boxing world on Saturday when unbeaten WBC champion Deontay Wilder faces Tyson Fury in a long-awaited rematch.

In what is the biggest heavyweight collision since Lennox Lewis bludgeoned Mike Tyson into submission on the banks of the Mississippi River in 2002, Wilder and Fury go head-to-head 14 months after battling to a draw in Los Angeles.

Tickets for Saturday's bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas have been changing hands for up to $11,000, while promoters predict the event could generate more than 2 million pay-per-view sales in the United States alone.

At the centre of the action are two of heavyweight boxing's most charismatic and skilful protagonists, the hard-hitting "Bronze Bomber" Wilder and Fury, the eccentric, self-styled "Gypsy King" from northern England.

Both men will be taking unbeaten records into the 12-round contest, with the 34-year-old Wilder looking to add Fury's name to a tally which reads 42-0 with one drawn and 41 knockouts.

The fight is a classic clash of styles, pitting Wilder's devastating knockout power against the more elusive, mobile defensive style of Fury.

In their first fight in Los Angeles, Fury recovered from two juddering knockdowns to claim a draw, miraculously climbing off the canvas in the 12th round to hang on for a share of the spoils.

Until that final knockdown, Fury had been on course to snatch victory, outfoxing Wilder with a defensive masterclass which had the 6ft 7in (2m) American unleashing wild haymakers at thin air.

Fury, (29-0-1, 20 knockouts) however has spent the buildup to Saturday's rematch promising to adopt a more aggressive approach, insisting he is targeting an early knockout.

- Fists of destiny -
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"I'll be letting them fly very aggressively. The mistake I made last time was not making him pay when he was hurt. This time when I get him hurt, I'll throw everything but the kitchen sink at him and he won't know what hit him."
"I don't believe he'll be able to develop (power), no matter what trainer he brings in. You just don't develop power in a couple of weeks. It's impossible."