By Jim Maltzman: Tyson Fury is letting Deontay Wilder and the fans know what he intends on doing on Saturday with his game plan for their trilogy fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) says he wants former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) to know what his strategy is for their third fight because he believes it’ll be more “challenging” for him if he’s prepared to try and stop him.
The last time they fought, it was too easy for Fury with him battering an over-matched Wilder around the ring from start to finish. It was so one-sided that the fans lost interest because there was no competitiveness.
Fury not being deceptive
“I know there’s a great book out there that people so much love called, ‘The Art of War,’ and it’s all about deceiving and deception and the element of surprise. But I’m not a deceiver or a deceptive person,” said Tyson Fury to BT Sport Boxing.
“I like to tell everybody what’s going to happen because then it’s all upfront, and they already know it and can prepare for it. If someone can prepare for it, it usually means they can give you a better challenge. That’s what I’m here for, and I’m not here for no easy fights.
“I’m here for good hard fights and put on a good show in Las Vegas to test myself against the best, and that’s what I’m here for. I’m not here to knock Wilder out in one round. If it happens, it happens, but I would like a challenge.
“I’ve trained hard enough now, and I’ve been in this game long enough to where I need challenges to raise up my game,” said Fury.
There hasn’t been a heavyweight in the division like Fury that has been as open and upfront about what he intends to do since Muhammad Ali reigned.
A young Ali let his opposition know what he intended on doing against them, even choosing the rounds he’d knock them out.
Fury follows in Ali’s footsteps with his openness about his game plans and daring his opponents to try and stop him from carrying out his game plans.
Tyson concentrating on Deontay
“I’ve got Deontay Wilder, and he’s the biggest challenge, and he always will be because he’s got that ability to close the distance really quick and land hard punches,” said Fury when asked if he’s ‘running out of challenges.’
“Nobody else in the division can do that, not even smaller guys, not even Oleksandr Usyk, who can close the distance as quick as Deontay Wilder and do damage.
“He [Usyk] might close the distance, hit you in the face, and do no damage, but Wilder can close it and KO you. He’ll always be the most dangerous.
“No, I’m concentrating on my own fight, and if I don’t concentrate, I’ll suffer the same fate as him,” said Fury when asked if he’s reached out to Anthony Joshua to talk to him about a fight between them,” said Fury.
It would be a mistake for Fury to look past his fight with Wilder towards a possible undisputed clash with Anthony Joshua next year.
For one, it’s not a certainty that Joshua will win his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in the first half of 2022.
Two, Fury faces a motivated Wilder, who sees red after losing to him a year ago. The punches that Wilder will be throwing on Saturday night will have full knockout intentions written all over them.
Fury will probably be fine as long as he can dodge 99.9% of them, but even if one of them gets through his armor shell, it could be over.
Wilder has the kind of power that can put any heavyweight asleep to the point where they need to be stretchered out, as we saw with Artur Szpilka.
