Deontay Wilder must change the mind not the body to overcome Tyson Fury in their planned trilogy fight currently set for December 19, according to DAZN analyst Sergio Mora.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ looked very one-dimensional as he was destroyed by ‘The Gypsy King’ in their second fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in February.
Now Wilder, who has been strangely silent on social media since that devastating defeat, has begun preparations for the third bout with some members of his camp claiming he is in sensational physical shape.
But former world light-middleweight king Mora says physical attributes are not what will help Wilder solve the Fury puzzle – instead he will need to change mentally and strategically.
Speaking on DAZN’s ‘Jabs’ with Chris Mannix, said: “Being in amazing shape ain’t gonna be one of the changes he needs to make. It’s all gonna be a state of mind for ‘The Bronze Bomber’. It’s gona be something in strategy he needs to change.
“He needs to fight with discipline if he’s gonna want to change because he’s already been outboxed and he’s already been outfought. So what changes? It’s not gonna be with his is jab or his power. It’s gonna be in here (the head).
“He’s gonna have to find himself, find the hunger. He’s gonna have to have the discipline to outfight or outbox Fury because we know he can do both. All the changes are gonna be spiritual and mental for Wilder.”
Mora also says that Wilder must vary his approach in the trilogy fight – he cannot win purely with power, or purely by trying to outbox Fury.
“Smart pressure is what I think Wilder should do. He’s gonna have to realise that power is not gonna be enough to beat Fury,” he said.
“But also speed is not gonna be enough. He’s gonna have to mix it up, he’s gonna have to be a little bit of a power puncher and a little bit of a boxer.
“Either he starts really strong and then boxes late, or vice-versa, but one is not gonna be enough. We haven’t seen Wilder change gameplans like that, we haven’t seen heavyweights do that really. They’re used to sticking behind the big power.
“We’ve seen Anthony Joshua do it in the rematch with Andy Ruiz, so if Wilder wants to regain the championship and do something that only great heavyweights do, he’s gonna have to change gameplans and it starts within here (the head).”
