Tyson Fury: Deontay Wilder 'points win in Las Vegas impossible'
Last updated on .From the section Boxing
| WBC world heavyweight title: Deontay Wilder v Tyson Fury |
|---|
| Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas Date: Saturday, 22 February Time: About 04:00 GMT, Sunday, 23 February |
| Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website, podcasts on BBC Sounds |
Tyson Fury says a points defeat against Deontay Wilder is impossible as his style of boxing suits Las Vegas.
Fury, 31, drew with Wilder in Los Angeles in 2018 and he hopes to avoid controversy by securing a knockout in their rematch on Saturday.
But he said similarities in his style with Floyd Mayweather - who landed 15 wins by decision in Vegas - is reason for his confidence in the judging.
"That slick style works and the judges here like that," Fury told BBC Sport.
"Wilder can't beat me on points, it's not possible. This is Las Vegas, not Los Angeles.
"One of the greatest boxers that has ever lived in Mayweather has come from this town and they can appreciate a master boxer here.
"If it goes 12 rounds I have won."
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'The Bully will fold'
Fury conducted media commitments at the offices of his US promoters Top Rank on Monday, a short drive from the Las Vegas strip where his bout with WBC world heavyweight champion Wilder can be seen advertised on billboards and blackjack tables.
He spoke glowingly of his first camp under trainer SugarHill Steward after his split from Ben Davison and will also fight for the first time since appointing Conor McGregor's nutritionist George Lockhart as his personal chef.
Those closest to the British heavyweight believe his dietary changes have offered notable results. The team have also appointed legendary cuts man Jacob 'Stitch' Duran to ensure the damage caused by a cut that required 47 stitches in Fury's last fight does not pose an issue.
Fury continues to predict a second-round stoppage of Wilder and trainer Steward told BBC Sport he was brought into the team because he is a "knockout architect".
"To knock out a knockout artist you have to make them go backwards and back them up," Fury told the BBC Radio 5 Live Boxing podcast.
"Wilder is used to coming forwards his whole career. He has never knocked anyone out on the back foot.
"All bullies when they are backed-up, fold. Wilder is no different to any other playground bully. When someone stands up to Deontay Wilder, he will fold. I will prove that on Saturday.
"Technically he is not so great. Fighting Deontay Wilder is like giving a seven-year-old an AK-47 in a room, fully loaded. He is easy to control but could let rip any time.
"He can throw punches from novice angles that usually a world champion or high-level professional wouldn't throw. They come from the floor sometimes or around corners so you have to have your wits about you."
Three more fights and out
Fury is expected to weigh in about 10lbs heavier than when he out-pointed Sweden's Otto Wallin in September and again believes extra bulk will help him stop Wilder.
On Monday, Wilder's trainer Jay Deas told BBC Radio 5 Live it was "advantageous" his fighter last competed as recently as November, when he knocked out Luis Ortiz.
But Fury is adamant the 34-year-old Alabama fighter's five-year "reign as world champion is over" and any win would see him reclaim world-champion status for the first time since he gave up his titles when he battled personal issues in the wake of beating Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.
A trilogy bout with Wilder could form part of his next move and while there are also calls for him to face IBF, WBA and WBO champion Anthony Joshua, Fury is only certain of how long he has left in the sport.
"I am in the latter end of my career," he added. "Three more fights, whether it takes a year or 18 months. The Gypsy King will be no more within two years that's for sure."
A fight with backing
Fury's rematch with Wilder was carefully plotted, with promoters Top Rank overseeing him build his profile with wins in the US over Tom Schwarz and Wallin in 2019.
Top Rank boss Bob Arum, 88, believes the contest will now sell in excess of two million purchases on pay-per-view.
Sat with BBC Sport in his Las Vegas office, Arum said: "You may not know what has happened in the USA. We have two major networks pushing the fight, Fox and ESPN. Both of them have given us resources that we could have never dreamed about.
"Fox broadcast the Super Bowl. A 30-second commercial on the Super Bowl costs $5.6m [£4.3m]. Fox gave us two slots. When you put a spot like that on in the Super Bowl, you reach over 130 million people in the United States.
"Last weekend you could not put a sports network on and not see adverts for this bout. Nothing like that has ever happened in this country since I have been in this business in 1966."
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Not saying he's my favourite person in the world, but at least he's honest and that puts him head and shoulders above 90% of the boxing world.
Good luck Tyson.
Only two outcomes: Wilder knocks Fury out or Fury wins on points.
Fury is a far superior technical boxer. Travesty that Fury wasn't awarded the points win in the first fight: he should've been at least 4 points ahead, even factoring in the big knockdown.
But if Wilder connects cleanly with a big one, I can't see Fury getting up again.
In that last fight, Fury took one of Wilder's best and got up like something in a scene from The Terminator.
Wilder knows he's not even on the same plane in terms of technical ability: all he's got is a massive punch and if that's not enough to put Fury away, he's bound to be questioning what it will take and if he has it.
Fury win for me.
I'd love the top boxers to come together and say, we're only going to respect one sanctioning body, one belt. Now give us your pitches and we'll pick the best.
Then, no more ridiculous undeserved mandatories, and money spinning by holding off on having the big fights for years.
Respect to Wilder and Fury for getting on with it though. AJ & team need to do the same.
"George Foreman was the hardest hitting heavyweight. Hope Tyson knocks him out."
_
Why would he want to knock George Foreman out? ;-)
I've never bought a PPV event and I never will. Pure robbery when people already pay for Sky Sports/BT Sport anyway.
He used to be a gobs***e, but his openness about his mental health has completely flipped that for me.
Boxers are 'supposed' to garner an image of absolute toughness, but in speaking so openly about his mental health issues, he's made it much easier (for men in particular) to open up. If Tyson Fury can have mental health problems, then it's OK to not be OK.
"Fury survived a 12th round knockdown in the first fight - but he'd better hope it doesn't happen again but in an early round - because in all likelihood he wouldn't survive such a fight because of subsequent knockdown."
Not sure how you figure that since Fury got back on top and finished better than Wilder after the 12th round knock down.
Fury is not that good at boxing, and neither is Wilder. In tests for strength and agility neither come out particularly high relative to average adults of their age.
Yes, and Messi isn't a particularly good footballer too...
Both men are fantastic athletes. A punch from either could kill you or me
Please have some respect.
Once a great sport, now just another obscenely greedy and bloated money making machine.
Just surprised that BT Sport felt the need to advertise it every 5 minutes during the football tonight
Such a shame
wont be ridiculous like Joshua's or Whyte's last effort. Hopefully that match is made to get rid of one of them.
Joshua has fought (and won) double the amount of top 10 current heavy weights than Fury or Wilder put together