Deontay Wilder 42-1-1 (41) will be risking not only his career but his life when he steps into the ring in his bid to regain the WBC heavyweight title from lone conqueror Tyson Fury 30-0-1 (21) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 9 according to the champion’s father John Fury.
The duo was expected to clash for the third time at the same venue this Saturday night before Fury withdrew after reportedly testing positive to Covid-19. Their first fight in December 2018 ended in a controversial draw while Fury won the rematch in February last year by dominant seventh-round knockout.
John Fury believes every time Wilder has carefully picked his moments to step in the ring with his son.
“Like Tyson got cherry-picked with Deontay Wilder twice,” Fury Sr said to Boxing Social.
“Because if they never saw Tyson’s eye hanging off against Otto Wallin, a terrible performance, they wouldn’t have wanted the second fight.
“But they saw the Otto Wallin fight and thought, ‘Yup, Wilder can’t lose. Wilder will chin him.’
“They cherry-picked him the first time thinking, ‘He’s been out of the ring for years, he’s been abusing himself. We can’t lose.’
“But every time Tyson, when he’s in that ring, he changes his full job.”
American Wilder, 35, enacted the immediate rematch clause in his contract after his loss to Fury but it took an independent arbitrator to enforce his rights.
The 32-year-old Fury from the UK was widely expected to face WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua 24-1 (22) instead.
Fury Sr warned doubter to forget what Fury looks like in training and to judge him on his performance in the ring.
“He can look terrible in a training camp, but when he gets in that ring, he’s a different man, different animal,” he said. “And they got it wrong twice.
“And they’ll get it wrong the third time. But the third time will cost him his career and his life, probably.
“If he’s not dead, he’ll be an invalid, which is a silly man. But if they want to sell their soul and put their life on the line for money, which I’m sure they will, get on with it.”
Team Fury aren’t the only ones talking about death in the ring. Earlier this year Wilder said he is training to “commit a legal homicide”.
“My mind is very violent,” Wilder said. “We built a whole facility to commit a legal homicide and that’s just what it is, my mind is very violent at this time.
“The only thing about it is, at that point in time, I have to wait until I get in the ring to really release because I can’t do it on the outside, it’d defeat the purpose.
“The baby’s got to eat, but when I do get in the ring, this is what I love about it.
“I’m able to release everything I’ve been feeling, everything I’ve been thinking, and get paid to do it.”
