Tyson Fury says the blueprint to beat him is simple, but actually making it happen isn’t…
‘The Gypsy King’ is still unbeaten and now has a 30-0-1 record after that devastating defeat of Deontay Wilder to claim the WBC world heavyweight title in February. Next up is a third fight with the ‘Bronze Bomber’ – who had twice put Fury in the floor in their first fight – a draw in Los Angeles back in December 2018.
The second knockdown by Wilder – in the 12th and final round – showed again that not only Fury is acclaimed as the best boxer in the heavyweight division today, he also has an incredible chin and fighting heart.
He told IFL TV: “I’ve already told Wilder, I’ve told Joshua, I’ve told Ortiz, Dillian Whyte, I’ve told Klitshko – I’ve told everybody from my era – the only way to beat ‘The Gypsy King’ is to flatten him so he can’t get back up.
“It’s what Brendan Ingle said in about 2009: ‘To beat this f***ing kid, you’ve gotta nail the b****** to the canvas and if you don’t do that he’s gonna get up and he’s gonna knock you the f*** out. And that’s how you beat me. It’s very very simple – land on the old chin, and keep me down. Not so easy.”
Talk of an all-British showdown with Anthony Joshua next year (potentially two showdowns) is now filling column inches on a daily basis. And Fury says if the world gets back to normal after COVID-19 he can see that becoming reality. But he also knows that he has to first deal again with Wilder – smarting after that first professional defeat.
“If lockdown finishes and the coronavirus gets a vaccine and the world goes back to normal, I can see two fights with Joshua next year for sure. Providing I get past Deontay Wilder this year, which is not a given considering when you’ve been beaten for the first time in your life it can do two things to you. It can make you break – as we’ve seen many times, the bubble bursts – or it can give you that bit between your teeth where you wanna get back and smash the guy’s face in who beat you.
“So if I don’t prepare like I did last time for Deontay Wilder, like a Trojan warrior, with no Diet Cokes and no distractions, then I can’t see myself winning again if I don’t do that strict attitude and strict lifestyle.
“If I go into this camp taking it lightly, thinking: ‘Oh, I’ve already knocked him out – it’s an easy fight’, Deontay Wilder will most probably knock me into next week.
“I’ve got to approach this fight as if I’m still the lineal champion, as if I didn’t beat him the first time or the second time and I’m still very very very hungry. I’ve gotta put on a fantastic display because at this level now there is no room for error. One mistake could cost you big time.”
