Tyson Fury is wary of the “atomic bomb” that Deontay Wilder can land on him despite the British fighter being favourite to retain his WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles in their trilogy fight on Saturday. The pair infamously fought to a controversial draw in December 2018, but then in February 2020 it was the ‘Gypsy King’ who dominated matters to win via a seventh round stoppage.
Fury’s priority for 2021 appeared to be a mouth-watering unification bout with fellow British fighter Anthony Joshua, but those plans were scuppered after the American took legal action, arguing Fury was obliged to completed their trilogy before negotiating elsewhere, and a subsequent court ruling favoured his case.
The ‘Bronze Bomber’ has angered the Fury camp further with some bizarre excuses after their second fight, posting a video clip online in which he claimed Fury had ‘egg-shaped’ objects in his gloves, and saying he believes his opponent will try and ‘cheat’ again this time around.
However, despite predicting another comprehensive win Fury is still wary of the threat possessed by Wilder, 34, especially after being perilously close to being knocked down in their first fight.
Wilder seemed to have secured a knockout win when he floored Fury with a vicious right hand in the 12th round, only for his opponent to rise to the canvas and finish the contest.
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When asked how he rose from the canvas in that first fight to reach the bell barely conscious, Fury replied: “You’ve got to have guts to succeed in boxing. Sheer guts. There will be moments when it’s not about how much you get hit but how much you can take. I’ve taken a lot in my life. That’s why I’ve trained for this one like Rocky in the movie.”
Indeed, he also referenced the strict diet regime he’s undertaken in Nevada, as well as a private, regulated training camp to guard against the dangers of Covid-19.
Fury tested positive for the virus in July, which meant this bout being postponed from its original date in September.
“No man could have done more. The toughest possible sparring. Eating nothing but the best foods — vegetables, fruits, fish, meats, vitamins, minerals,” he said, before adding he was also consuming more than a gallon of water a day to combat the searing heat.