By Lem Satterfield
WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wider made it clear that lineal champion Tyson Fury is exhibiting “nervous behavior” owing to recent shake-ups among the challenger’s corner men and the relocation of his training camp in advance of “The Bronze Bomber’s” pursuit of his eighth knockout in as many defenses on December 1 at The Staples Center in Los Angeles (Showtime PPV, 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. ET).
“I’m a different monster in that ring and [Fury] knows it. That’s why he had to have three trainers. I don’t have to have nothing but the ones that I’ve been with. But if he’s such a big guy and he’s supposed to be able to do all of this sh*t, why does he need to have so many trainers for little old me?” asked the 6-foot-7 “Bronze Bomber” (40-0, 39 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
“[I’m] someone who is supposed to only have a right hand, can’t box, or somebody who doesn’t go by the textbook. Why do all these fighters have to have so many resources and different things just to fight little old me?...If he says there’s not a man born of women that will be able to beat him, the why in the f*** is he switching up on all of his trainers?”
Wilder spoke of Fury (27-0,19 KOs) of Manchester England, during a Thursday conference call. Fury has added former Manny Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach as a cut man to his list of trainers that include former 140-pound champion Rick Hatton and first-time head corner man Ben Davison, who has replaced Fury’s uncle, Peter Fury.
Peter Fury was guided his nephew during his career-defining unanimous decision over long-reigning Wladimir Klitschko (64-5, 53 KOs), a feat that ended 6-foot-6 “Dr. Steelhammer’s” dominance at 22-0 (15 KOs) and 11 ½ years as Fury became lineal IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO champion in November 2015.
“I would have been happier if he had Peter. That’s who he really needs, because his only claim to this game is beating [Wladimir] Klitschko, and Peter was the one who was with him for that. Peter knows him and knows what he’s about,” said Wilder.
“So when you don’t have your original trainer who knows you in and out and who has been with you from the start, and you start [going] with other trainers and seeing who has a name out there, they don’t know you. In this short period of one month’s time, [other trainers are] not going to fully get to know you. His style was created by another trainer [Peter Fury] from the beginning, so to me, that seems like nervous behavior.”
Last month, “The Gypsy King” moved his training camp from the high altitude of Big Bear Lake, California, to the Los Angeles. The 6-foot-9, 255-pound Fury began training at Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood three weeks ago. Fury had been training at Abel Sanchez’s gym, The Summit, in Big Bear Lake since he started training camp early in October.
“Up in Big Bear, [Fury] couldn’t even stay in Big Bear and had to come down because that was too much for you,” Wilder said. “ He had Abel Sanchez up there, a wholly different trainer. Now, you’re coming to sea level where you can take it, and you’ve got the other trainer.”
Davison replaced Peter Fury as his head trainer when Fury seriously initiated his comeback in January. Although Davison still is Fury’s head trainer, Fury said Roach has carte blanche as a member of his team.
“Whatever Freddie wants to do, he can do.Freddie’s his own man. Whatever he wants to do, he’ll do in the corner. I’m sure he will,” said Fury. “It’s always good to have experience in the corner. It’s always good to have a wise hand in the corner, and it’s gonna be to my advantage.”
But whatever Fury does, Wilder said it won’t make a difference.
“It doesn’t matter to me. I want him to be comfortable and to get the trainer that he feels will bring the best out of Tyson Fury. I want the best Tyson Fury that we can possibly get,” said Wilder.
“But I’m already hearing excuses. Every time I fight, I get f****ing excuses, and I’m tired of it In this fight, I will knock him out.”
2023-10-22 06:28:01
