After more than a year and a half of starts and stops, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder are finally set to step back in the ring for a third meeting. The fight takes place on Saturday from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with Fury’s WBC heavyweight championship on the line.
But that’s not all you need to know about this weekend. The prelims features another heavy hitter making his return to the ring when Edgar Berlanga enters a super middleweight showdown with Marcelo Esteban Coceres. Berlanga tied the all-time record for a start to a career with 16 consecutive first-round knockouts. That streak ended in April when he earned a decision against Demond Nicholson, but he looks to restart that streak on Saturday night.
Plus, the undercard for this event is as loaded as it gets in the modern era with tons of top prospects and hopeful title contenders filling out the PPV. An additional fun fact is that all four main card bouts take place in the heavyweight division.
We know it’s easy to get lost in the minutiae of a big event. So we’re here to help give you a concise outlook of what to expect and what to know for every main card fight. Let’s take a closer look at what to expect on Saturday.
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Odds below are via Caesars Sportsbook
Main card
Jared Anderson vs Vladimir Tereshkin, heavyweight
- Odds: TBA | Last three results: Anderson – W,W,W | Tereshkin – W,W,W
- Anderson: America’s top heavyweight boxing prospect
- Tereshkin: A 14-year veteran coming off nearly a two-year layoff
Barring disastrous career turns, Jared “Big Baby” Anderson (9-0, 9 KO) is the future of American heavyweight boxing. The 6-foot-4, 21-year-old carries good athleticism and speed. Anderson has every opportunity to be the kind of complete package America hasn’t produced at heavyweight in decades. Tereshkin (22-0-1, 12 KO) is the biggest test of Anderson’s career, with a long boxing career that has spanned 14 years and fights across eight countries. Tereshkin is also coming off nearly two years out of the ring and likely was chosen to face a top prospect for a reason — and that reason doesn’t likely include that he’s a threat to pull off the victory.
Robert Helenius vs Adam Kownacki, Heavyweight
- Odds: Kownacki -270, Helenius +220 | Last three results: Kownacki – L,W,W | Helenius – W,W,L
- Kownacki: Looking to rebound from a shocking upset to Helenius in his most recent fight
- Helenius: A long-time contender who never reached a shot at the world championship
Helenius and Kownacki met in a March 3, 2020 clash, just before the world changed as the COVID-19 pandemic fully took hold. The fight was supposed to be a big moment for Kownacki (20-1, 15 KO) as he crept closer to a title shot in front of a loud, hometown crowd in Brooklyn. Instead, Helenius (30-3, 19 KO) crushed Kownacki to score a fourth-round TKO in a WBA title eliminator. Helenius, seemingly well-removed from the best days of his career, was thought to be just an opponent for Kownacki. Instead, he took advantage of Kownacki’s reckless aggression to score the big upset and breathe new life into his career. Neither man has fought since and Kownacki will enter the ring trying to prove the loss was a fluke while starting what could be a long climb back to a title opportunity.
Frank Sanchez vs. Efe Ajagba, Heavyweight
- Odds: Sanchez -180, Ajagba +155 | Last three results: Sanchez – W,W,W | Ajagba – W,W,W
- Sanchez: A tactical Cuban fighter who has been on big stages before
- Ajagba: Rough around the edges, Ajagba looks to erase some uneven recent performances
This is a fight between undefeated fighters who could both fairly be considered prospects. Sanchez (18-0, 13 KO) is likely the fighter thought to have a higher ceiling coming into the fight with something of a typical “Cuban style” that can occasionally be dull as he picks opponents apart. That style has proven effective, however. Ajagba (15-0, 12 KO) is a talented Nigerian fighter who now fights out of Texas. He has suffered a few scares in his career, including suffering a third-round knockdown against Iago Kiladze in December 2019 before scoring a stoppage in Round 5. This is a huge opportunity for both men, with the chance to prove their spot as legitimate future title contenders and a ton to lose in defeat.
Tyson Fury (c) vs. Deontay Wilder, WBC heavyweight title
- Odds: Fury -270, Wilder +220 | Last three results: Fury – W,D,W | Wilder – L,D,W
- Fury: The undefeated lineal heavyweight champion looking to work toward undisputed status
- Wilder: One of the hardest-hitting one-punch knockout artists in boxing history
The first fight between Fury and Wilder ended in a controversial draw after most felt Fury deserved the win despite suffering two knockdowns. Fury (30-0-1, 21 KO) left no doubt in the rematch, absolutely dominating Wilder from the opening bell, scoring two knockdowns before the seventh-round stoppage. When he is on, Fury is every bit the best heavyweight in the world he claims to be. Unfortunately, discipline problems have been the biggest issue in Fury’s career. With his combination of awkward and effective technique, size and chin, Fury would be the favorite against any heavyweight on the planet, as long as he enters the fight focused.
Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KO) is one of the hardest punchers in the history of boxing. That punching power makes him a danger at every single second of the fight and a fighter who can never be counted out. He proved he has the ability to hurt Fury, with the Round 12 knockdown in the first meeting coming close to stopping the Gypsy King only for Fury to shockingly rise back to his feet to finish out the fight. A loss would be devastating for Wilder, who has gone through nearly every possible conspiracy theory to explain his loss in the rematch, including claiming his own corner was conspiring against him and that Fury cheated by loading — or removing the padding from — his gloves.
Who will win Fury vs. Wilder III? And which huge 30-1 prop bet should you be all over? Visit SportsLine now to see Brandon Wise’s best bets, all from the CBS combat sports specialist who has crushed his picks, and find out.
