Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay ‘The Bronze Bomber’ Wilder 42-1-1 (41) has questioned the heart of Tyson ‘The Gypsy King’ Fury 30-0-1 (21) ahead of their third clash at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 9.
The trilogy fight was originally scheduled to take place in Las Vegas on July 24 before Fury reportedly contracted Covid-19.
“Hopefully Fury is confident enough to go through with this fight because I’m going to be a reinvented Deontay Wilder on October 9,” Wilder said.
“This training camp has rejuvenated me. It’s refreshed me. The key to victory in this fight is having a violent mind, but approaching it with calmness.
“I have all the right people around me and we’re looking forward to October 9. I just hope Fury is ready to put on a show for the fans and make history once again.”
Wilder surrendered the WBC belt when he was stopped in seven one-sided rounds by Fury in their rematch at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in February last year.
An independent arbitrator scuppered plans for a rare four-belt unification bout between Fury and WBA, WBO and IBF champion Anthony Joshua 24-1 (22) when he ruled the 33-year-old Brit was contractually obligated to face American Wilder, 35, for a third time.
Their first fight ended in a controversial split draw on Los Angeles in December 2018.
Rumours have abounded that Fury has been getting touched-up by his sparring partners in camp as he prepares for the trilogy fight.
“I’m ready. I hope they are ready. I hope they have their priorities in line. Their gameplan, how they are going to approach the fight. I know he wasn’t doing well in camp. The young guys were piecing him up,” Wilder told the PBC Podcast.
“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.
“In the time off we have done nothing but work, work, work. Even when my body rested, my mind was still at it.”
Wilder sacked longtime co-trainer Mark Breland in the wake of the Fury loss and replaced him with former opponent Malik Scott to work alongside Jay Deas. Breland was the one to throw in the towel in his last meeting with Fury to save him from any unnecessary punishment.
“I had to get rid of the snakes in my team and I had to get in people who really love me. I needed soldiers,” Wilder said.
“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.”
