Wilder and Fury promise KOs and pain

By Arvin Nundloll

Reigning WBC Heavyweight champion, Deontay Wilder, and former champion Tyson Fury hurled abuse and promised swift ends on December 1 as both men fight for what may be an unmissable heavyweight classic live on Showtime PPV from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Both fighters took time out from the NYC press tour to speak to FightNews.com® about their upcoming bout and neither disappointed as the tension rises in this highly anticipated heavyweight showdown.Speaking exclusively to FightNews.com®, Wilder showed the aggression expected from a reigning heavyweight champion while reminding everyone that Fury is a live and dangerous opponent even with his time spent away from the ring.

When asked about the on-stage bravado shown by Fury, Wilder put it down to his presence.

“Nerves, that’s all nerves as he knows what’s going to happen, I’m the baddest man on the planet. I hit the hardest and you all know that, probably in the history of boxing. When you fight someone like me you’re going to have a lot of nerves as I’m like a myth, a legend with superpowers.”

Wilder also showed a level of respect to Fury for having taken time off to recover while not backing down from what Wilder sees as the biggest fight of Fury’s life.

“It’s just the right time, look how many champions took a layoff of two years and came back. My all-time great Muhammed Ali took a layoff, took two fights and came back. When you are a champion it doesn’t matter how long you been laid off because you’ve already been at the elite level anyway so you know what it takes to break your body down and to get back to shape, to do this or that. You already a scientist to know how to get back into shape and be prepared for the biggest fight of your life.”

Asked if Fury deserves his title shot having had an uneventful performance in his past two fights, Wilder paid homage to Fury’s previous success as world champion indicating that he’s been at the elite level before and belongs there.

“Most definitely, he deserved this chance when he got the belts. He’s definitely done what it takes to get this done. I feel he is the third best after Luis Ortiz as I already beat one killer and now I’m going into another one”

In a slight dig at Anthony Joshua, Wilder proclaimed that he is making all the right moves for boxing fans worldwide.

“Who’s doing it like me? I want the best out there. I want to give you guys the best fight out there and this is what I’m doing.”

Tyson Fury remained upbeat and confident that he’s coming to take home the belts. When asked by FightNews.com® about his previous experience fighting in the US and how he’d adapt to a foreign country Fury explained that it’s nothing new to him:

“It was a great experience last time to be in New York and Frank Sinatra once said if you can make it here you can make it anywhere. I already made it at Madison Square Garden in 2013 and am pretty confident doing it again in Central Los Angeles.”

When asked by FightNews.com® about how this fight differs from his victory against Klitschko, Fury showed no signs of complacency.

“It doesn’t differ at all, there is no difference in days, only confidence. When I look at Deontay Wilder I don’t see a confident man, I see a man in a shell who’s nervous in front of me. He fears me, he thinks about me in his sleep, he knows he’s already lost. He’s already lost the fight and is turning up for a paycheck.”

Having gone eye-to-eye with Wilder, Fury believes he sees man who is ready to throw in the towel.

“He’s got quit in him, you could chop both of my arms off and I’d never say no mas but he couldn’t do the same as he’ll quit. I’m a true bred-born fighting man and I fight to the death every single time but he won’t as he’s a football or basketball player. I am the ultimate fighting man, born and raised to be a fighter. I don’t do anything else and don’t have any other hobbies, just fight fight fight.”

Both men claim to be willing to stand in the center of the ring and unleash power punches however Fury believes that toe-to-toe will be the beginning of the end for Wilder.

“I want him to be in a war, all the pressure is on Deontay Wilder to knock me out so when he starts swinging and missing I’m going to clip him with a left hook to the body there and crack a couple of ribs, then we’ll see if he likes to swing. I know he’s got two hands like biscuits and they break very easily so when he hits that big bald head and breaks his hands like he did against Chris Arreola and the other guys he who broke his hands he’s done.”

Frank Warren also mentioned that this fight was solely Tyson Fury’s decision.

“He wanted the fight and we delivered it. I think he’s ready mentally which is the most important thing and physically. Mentally he’s 100% and that’s where he needs to be.”

When asked about the difference he’s seen from when he signed Fury to where he is now, Warren is delighted.

“When he signed the contract with me he was probably another 120lbs heavier. He’s got that focus, that desire and the want of it. As he said this is what it’s all about for him. He’s the #1 and wants to stay #1.”

Photos: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

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