Deontay Wilder: Tyson Fury changing trainers, claiming he’ll weigh 270 pounds just proof he’s ‘nervous’ for rematch

Photo by Philip Pacheco/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder doesn’t pay too much attention to the crazy things Tyson Fury has said in the lead up to their rematch but sometimes it’s just impossible to avoid.

Wilder prefers to judge actions not words but he can’t help but react after Fury changed trainers two months before they clash again while also claiming he would weigh around 270 pounds when stepping on the scale next Friday.

Whether it’s switching from Ben Davison to Javan “Sugar” Hill or packing on the pounds to try and gain a strength advantage, Wilder views these moves as proof that Fury is still haunted by the memories of their first fight where he suffered a brutal knockdown in round 12 but managed to survive to the final bell.

“Deep down in his heart, I really feel that he’s nervous,” Wilder said during a media conference call ahead of the rematch with Fury. “I really feel he’s very, very nervous from the first time what happened. When you knock a person down and give them a concussion, you never forget that. You never forget who did that to you and how they did it.

“When you’re going back in there with them a second time to relive that moment all over again, it has to be stressful. You definitely can’t sleep at night.”

The change in trainers is a particularly interesting decision on Fury’s part after Davison was credited with helping him comeback following a 30-month layoff that saw the British boxer deal with depression as well as heavy drug and alcohol abuse.

Barely two months away from the rematch, Fury split with Davison and began training with Hill, who is the nephew of famed coach Emanuel Steward.

Considering the time it typically takes for a boxer and trainer to find great chemistry, Wilder can’t say for certain why Fury made the move but he doesn’t think it’s going to make much of a difference once they start trading punches.

“He can go on and say he beat me in a wide margin but he don’t believe that,” Wilder said. “He honestly, really don’t believe that. That’s why he wants to change up a lot of things. Because if he did really, really believe that, you wouldn’t change up so much. He didn’t change up from where he trains at, to trainers, now he’s putting his hands in gasoline to try and make them harder. He done brought so many people into his camp. There’s so much going on, so much to keep up with, all the changes.

“The next thing, he’s going to go see a spiritual advisor. That’s going to be the next thing he’s going to do to ease his mind what’s about to happen to him and his body come Feb. 22.”

One other comment that caught Wilder’s attention was Fury’s insistence that he’s going to be gunning for a knockout when they came face to face during a press conference in January. At the time, Fury barked at Wilder that he planned to finish the fight inside two rounds.

While Wilder is well-known as one of most devastating power punchers in the history of the heavyweight division, Fury earned his reputation with a technical boxing attack where he chips away at his opponents round after round.

If Fury really intends on exchanging punches, Wilder welcomes him to try but he doesn’t think he’ll enjoy the results.

“It’s a strong possibility that could happen, especially him bringing the fight to me,” Wilder said. “As you can see, I brought the fight to him nearly the whole fight the first time. If he wants to do the reverse and bring it to me and bring all the force to me where I’m already applying force, throwing at him, it’s going to be an interesting fight. It’s going to be a short night but it’s going to be an interesting fight. Interesting fights and short nights, you can count me in cause I don’t get paid overtime. He’s playing right into my hands.

‘I’m looking forward to see if he’s going to follow through with his game plan. That’s going to be exciting to see.”

As far as fearing Fury’s power — Wilder finds that laughable.

“Like I said before and the media quoted me on it and you can continue — he has pillow ass fists,” Wilder said. “That’s how soft they were. Maybe my adrenaline was too high to even feel anything. Sometimes after the fight, you may feel a little sore or whatever. Even after the fight, I didn’t feel anything. I took all his punches, the ones that he landed and I walked right through it.

“I don’t respect none of his power that he has. He’s just a tall, big man that can move around the ring and that’s about it. As far as power, there’s none there.”

Because the last fight ended in a controversial draw, Wilder wants to leave no doubts in the rematch. After nearly scoring the knockout in the final round in their initial meeting, “The Bronze Bomber” promises the judges won’t need to get involved this time.

“I just can’t wait until Feb. 22,” Wilder said. “The Gypsy King” is going to get floored to the ground and this time around he’s definitely not getting up.”