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Deontay Wilder: I had a young guy from my camp that was piecing Tyson Fury up

Photo by Ryan Hafey/ Premier Boxing Champions
Fighters Network
08
Sep

Deontay Wilder is ready to battle for a third time against Tyson Fury but isn’t quite sure about his heavyweight rival.

The two were scheduled to collide in July, but the bout was postponed when Fury tested positive for COVID-19.

Now their trilogy fight is set to go down October 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Both heavyweights have not fought since their second encounter in February 2020 that ended with Fury flooring Wilder twice en route to a seventh-round stoppage to claim the WBC title and the vacant Ring Magazine heavyweight championship.



Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs), who is rated No. 2 by The Ring at heavyweight, told the PBC Podcast that he was informed of Fury’s struggles in training camp:

“I’m ready. I hope they are ready. I hope they have their priorities in line. Their game-plan, how they are going to approach the fight. I know he wasn’t doing well in camp. The young guys were piecing him up.

“I had a young guy from my camp who was piecing him up. Sparring [for me] has been amazing. I can’t say names but just know there have been a lot of people on the canvas. Hopefully he is confident to go through [with the fight] and not have anything go wrong. A reinvented Deontay Wilder. Something you’ve never seen before.”

Wilder’s new trainer, former heavyweight contender Malik Scott, concurred with his pupil regarding the rumors.

“When you hear those kinds of rumors with this type of high caliber fight, those are not rumors, those are facts,” Scott stated.

Fury’s wife, Paris, gave birth to their sixth child — a baby daughter named Athena – last month. However, Fury had initially requested fans to pray for her as the newborn was in intensive care. Athena was discharged from the hospital on August 20. This fueled gossip that Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs), 33, hasn’t been training, which fueled speculation that the third fight with Wilder might not go on as scheduled.

Meanwhile, Wilder is zeroed in on getting his first victory against Fury. Their first bout back in December 2018 in Los Angeles ended in a 12-round draw, with a majority of ringside observers seeing Fury as the victor. However, Alabama’s Wilder views his shocking defeat as a chance to reform.

“I’m a king. When a king falls he has to strategize and get back up. There is no point in moping, sitting back. You’ve got to pick yourself up, make yourself and the people around you stronger.”

 

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