Deontay Wilder 42-1-1 (41) will knock out WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury 30-0-1 (21) within five rounds.
That’s the word from the 35-year-old American’s new head trainer Malik Scott, who works alongside longtime Wilder co-trainer Jay Deas.
Wilder was stopped in seven one-sided rounds by Englishman Fury, 33, when they met in their rematch in Las Vegas in February last year. The Bronze Bomber was on the deck in the third and fifth rounds before his then lead trainer Mark Breland threw in the towel in the seventh.
The fight was a rematch of their controversial split draw in Los Angeles in December 2018. In that fight Wilder was outboxed early but rallied to drop Fury in the ninth and 12th rounds to hold onto his WBC championship.
Scott, who was himself knocked out by Wilder in under one round seven years ago, says he sees things in Fury’s game that can be exploited.
“Fury fights with his hands down, at times with his chin up, at times he comes forwards, at times he is close with his hands down,” Scott told Sky Sports.
“He has been knocked down by guys who hit less hard than Deontay. He is very vulnerable.
“I’ve never seen Fury fight and say: ‘Wow he is unbeatable’. On his best day he looks good but still looks beatable.
“This Deontay would knock out the old Deontay in two rounds. He is 10 times more focused, training 100 times harder.
“It is a violent camp. His mentality is very violent. This will be the best version of Deontay Wilder that you have ever seen.”
As far as Fury is concerned, he is happy to declare his hand before their trilogy bout slated to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on October 9.
“I gave my game plan away the last time because he wasn’t good enough to do anything about it,” Fury said at their press conference in June. “I’ll do the same thing this time.
“Wilder is a one-trick pony. What I’ll do this time? I’ll run him over like I’m an 18-wheeler.
“I guarantee he does not go past where he did before [the seventh round].”
Scott replaced Breland as lead trainer in Wilder’s camp after the loss to Fury. Despite the drubbing Wilder suffered in his first professional loss, Scott says his charge has all the tools he needs to get one back on his old foe.
“They underestimate his IQ,” Scott told Sky Sports. “He is not some big, dumb guy who just throws a right hand.
“There is method to his madness.
“Deontay’s IQ is very high. I watch him create, watch him put himself in position, set guys up into surgical traps.
“Deontay will knock Fury out inside of five rounds.”
