As Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder weighed in for their heavyweight showdown, the American’s body was all anyone could talk about.
Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder weighed in the heaviest they ever have for any fight in their careers as they prepare to do battle on Sunday (AEDT).
The pair will square off in their trilogy fight in Las Vegas — which is finally taking place after Covid complications earlier this year caused the bout to be rescheduled.
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Fury weighed in much heavier than Wilder at 125kg. But there was plenty of chat about the American, who looked particularly ripped as he tipped the scales at 107.95kg — roughly 11kg heavier than he was for their second fight back in February 2020.
“The weight just came on,” Wilder said. “I wanted to look sexy, feel sexy and I taste sexy as well.
“I’m bench-pressing over 350 (pounds, 160kg) so no matter what weight he’s coming in, I can lay on my back and lift him. So it won’t be none of that rushing me and putting all this weight on me.
“We have rejuvenated myself. Redemption is upon us. And I can’t wait to show the world what I’m all about. I’m reintroducing myself to the world as Deontay Wilder.”
Boxing pundits and fans on social media had plenty to say about Wilder’s new-look physique. While it may help with his power, what it does for his stamina and speed within the ring remains to be seen.
Boxing writer Michael Benson tweeted: “Deontay Wilder appears to have seriously bulked up for the Tyson Fury trilogy …”
ESPN’s Mike Coppinger wrote: “Wilder clearly put on a lot of muscle and looks tremendous.”
Sports journalist Ryan Taylor added: “Struggling to get my head around Wilder coming in that heavy. Massive roll of the dice. Reckon he’ll go for the jugular & burn out.”
Fury is a couple of kilos heavier this time around compared to the second fight last year, and is confident of securing the same result.
“I’m going to really severely damage him. He’ll be unrecognisable after the fight,” Fury said.
“Look at the state of him. His heart’s rattling now.
“There’s a man here that’s going to annihilate you, dosser. Me. The Gypsy King. Tyson Fury’s the name and f***ing fighting’s the game.”
The two heavyweights fought to a bruising draw in their first fight in Los Angeles in 2018, when Fury somehow survived a crushing 12th round knockdown after outboxing Wilder for much of the contest.
Fury (30-0-1, 21 knockouts) then dethroned Wilder in February last year, dishing out a one-sided beating en route to a seventh-round knockout that emphatically ended Wilder’s five-year reign as WBC champion.
Neither man has fought since that fight 20 months ago, and Fury was forced to scrap plans for a money-spinning bout with former WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua after an independent arbitrator in May ruled that Wilder was entitled to a rematch for a third fight.
With AFP
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