Tyson Fury believes Deontay Wilder is struggling with his mental health after the devastating beating he handed ‘The Bronze Bomber’ last year, claiming: “I think he’s lost his marbles”.
Fury burst Wilder’s unbeaten bubble with a seventh-round stoppage at the MGM Grand Garden just over one year ago. In the process he also took Wilder’s WBC world heavyweight title.
The pair were supposed to fight a trilogy bout last year (they’d earlier fought to a draw in December 2018) but it never happened. Now Fury says “the chapter is done”, but adds he believes Wilder has other things to contend with. Not just boxing.
Fury on Wilder
He told ESPN: “As far as I’m concerned that chapter’s done. I beat him twice, absolutely smashed him to pieces the second time, wasn’t even a contest. They had a full year to make another fight. I agreed to about seven dates, none of them materialised, and the contract expired.
“And now nothing, there’s no fight between me and Deontay Wilder. But Deontay Wilder’s got more on his brain than fighting, I tell you that. I think he’s lost his marbles. I think Deontay Wilder is struggling mentally at the moment – physically and emotionally.
“That’s me looking at him from the outside from as a person who’s already been there and done what he’s doing. Obviously the beating he took in the fight has really affected him. He obviously thought that he couldn’t lose to anybody. Then when he’s been in there, and been beaten like that, then it’s obviously had a mental effect on him.”
The wild allegations and excuses Wilder has thrown out since that Vegas defeat have somewhat soured the memory of two great fights for Fury, as he explained.
Unsportsmanlike conduct
“It spoiled the way that I look at him as a man. To make a million excuses after you’ve lost to somebody, is unsportsmanlike conduct. If he’d have beat me in the same manner, or any manner, I’d have put me hand out and shook his hand and said ‘fair play, I’ve lost to a better man on the night, good luck and God bless ya’.
“And that’s the difference in men. If somebody beats me – and I’ve been travelling the world 13 years to find somebody to beat me and I haven’t found him yet – if there is somebody out there to beat me I’ll shake his hand.
“Because if he can beat me, he’s a good boxer and a good man, fair play, good luck to him, God bless him. But Deontay Wilder clearly doesn’t have that same mindset.”
Fury vs Joshua next?
Instead of that third fight with Wilder, Fury is now preparing (he hopes) for a summer showdown with Anthony Joshua. It would be the biggest fight in British boxing history, and likely result in the first undisputed world heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
It is hoped contracts will be signed in the next few days, paving the way for a bout in June – likely in the Middle East. Fury’s co-promoter Bob Arum expects both men to earn around $100million each for their first fight alone.
The financial structure they agreed in principle last year was for two fights. The first would be a 50-50 revenue split. The rematch would see the winner take a 60-40 financial upside.