By Chris McKenna, courtesy of The Daily Star
FREDDIE ROACH is confident Deontay Wilder has underestimated Tyson Fury.
Legendary trainer Roach will be in Fury’s corner after being drafted into his team earlier this month by Fury and trainer Ben Davison.
He revealed he did not charge Fury a penny for use of his gym in the build-up to the showdown in LA.
But Fury may have got even better value with Roach’s inside knowledge of Wilder’s preparation for the clash.
The trainer, who has led the career of Manny Pacquiao, revealed he has been told by spies in Wilder’s camp that he is not ready.
He said: “What I will say though is that anyone who underestimates Tyson Fury is a fool.
“And you know what? I’ve had two guys in Wilder’s training camp giving me reports from there – and he’s not ready for this fight.
“Have they underestimated Fury? Big time. They don’t know what they’re in for, 100 percent.”
Wilder has won 39 of his 40 fights inside the distance while Fury has gone the distance eight times in his 27-fight unblemished career.
That would suggest that the American is the bigger puncher of the two.
But Roach dismissed that idea as he backed his new charge to win by knockout - and it could even come in the first round.
He said: “Fury’s under this guy’s skin. This guy is going to come and try to kill him and if Wilder walks into that one-two he’s dead.
“This could be an early one. I really think we can knock this guy out, he’s a little bit sloppy and I think, straight down the middle, Tyson is the bigger puncher of the two.
“He even said to me, ‘Freddie, what if I go out there and knock him out in the first round?’.
“I said, ‘Yeah, okay, that’s possible but don’t you think there’s a better way? Maybe break him down a bit first?’.”
2023-10-22 08:53:29
