In anticipation of their third heavyweight showdown, WBC champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury and his predecessor Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder appeared face-to-face at a Los Angeles press conference. Fury was relaxed, coming out without a shirt, dancing and smiling. Wilder on the other hand appeared tense and then completely checked out, wearing dark glasses and listening to headphones that appeared to block out the questions he was being asked. He gave a very short opening statement then let his new trainer, Malik Scott, answer questions for him. After Fury spoke and Wilder sulked, the two men engaged in what has to be the longest staredown in the history of combat sports. Neither man said a word, or even moved, while they locked gazes for minutes. Eventually, the boxers were surrounded by security and entourages, and Wilder eventually broke the stare and walked away, leaving Fury grinning triumphantly. Here is what they said:
DEONTAY WILDER
[Thanks Jesus Christ and his team] "Look, enough said. Time to cut off his head. Come July 24th, there will be blood shed."
TYSON FURY
"As for all this bloodshed stuff, I'm not so sure. We've heard it all before the last fight and you know what happened." [which Fury won by TKO. Their first fight was scored a draw, although most felt Fury deserved a decision. The second fight was a TKO win for Fury]."
[On WIlder's silence]: "It shows how weak of a mental person he is. I don't believe he is mentally, physically or emotionally involved in this fight."
THE OFFICIAL QUOTES ACCORDING TO THE PRESS RELEASE:
TYSON FURY:
“It was a crazy roller coaster toward this fight. I always say, ‘you’re never fighting someone, until you’re in the ring opposite them.’ It wasn’t hard for me to adjust to fighting Deontay Wilder again [after the Anthony Joshua fight got called off]. It’s what I’m paid to do. I’m just always training and staying motivated. I’m happy to be living and here right now. I look forward to today. That’s how I manage everything. I’m a ‘living in the moment’ type of person.
“I hope Deontay brings something different for this fight. He needs to, if we’re facing facts. I hope he brings a challenge. Hopefully [new trainer] Malik Scott can bring the best out of Deontay Wilder.
“The beating from the last fight has had a physical, mental and emotional effect on his life. I was worried about him after the way I beat him.
“Deontay Wilder is a one-trick pony. He’s got great one-punch knockout power. I’m going to run him over like I’m an 18-wheeler. I guarantee he doesn’t go past where he did in the second fight. I’m looking for a big knockout straight away.
“He said all this stuff about bloodshed last time and we all know what happened last time. I’m going to keep it short and sweet today.”
DEONTAY WILDER
“Enough has been said. It’s time to cut off his head. Come July the 24th, there will be bloodshed. Get your tickets now and I’ll see you soon.
“A lot of things are going to be different in this fight. On July 24th, the world is going to see. We’re going to reveal everything we’ve been working on.
“I didn’t feel any way about Fury trying to negotiate another fight. We knew we were in the right and we knew they couldn’t run. Silence is golden.
“I’ve been happy and even happier in my time off. I’ve had time to spend with my family and now I’m rejuvenated and ready to go.
“I’ve been training non-stop during the pandemic and I’ve been building. All this time between fights is going to be good for me and bad for him. I’ve had nothing but time to progress.
“Whatever he does on July 24th, we will have an answer for it. I’m training very hard and my mind is very violent. I’m ready to go.”
SUGARHILL STEWARD, Fury’s Trainer
“The amount of time me and Tyson have had together since joining forces hasn’t changed anything. Our chemistry has always been there. The only thing is, is that over that time, he now has the power to knock a man out with one punch.
“I’m glad he’s added that kind of power to go with his boxing skills and IQ. He now has the one-punch knockout power. He just needs to land that one punch.”
MALIK SCOTT, Wilder’s Trainer
“Deontay and I have always had a chemistry and a brotherhood between us. Before we talked about moving forward with me as his trainer, I wanted to make sure we had the same chemistry as trainer and fighter that we had with our brotherhood. Our chemistry as fighter and trainer by far passes it. I’m impressed with how he’s adapted.
“I believe that with a fighter like Deontay, who has naturally raw power, combined with my technically sound background, we just match well together.
“Deontay has made the mental adjustments. All I needed was a receptive athlete. He’s already made the adjustments to do whatever I need him to do in that ring.
“I only see this fight going one way. If you just let Fury do what he wants, he’ll do way more than what you want. I have no doubt that Deontay will become the two-time heavyweight champion of the world and it will come by knockout.”
