The fun has already begun with heavyweights Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, what with Wilder’s gate-crash job at today’s Fury-Francesco Pianeta weigh-in (see video article below) and the fight – one Wilder assures us will take place this year – is still three or four months away. Could we fight fans be about to witness one of the most vocal, most over the top and most entertaining pre-fight build-ups of recent years?
Wilder and Fury shouted and screamed at each other today – Wilder also getting into it with Fury’s dad, former heavyweight John Fury – and their fight, if promoted right, could prove to be absolutely huge. And Wilder and Shelly Finkel, in speaking with BBC Sport, both assure us the fight will go down in either November or December, in either New York or Las Vegas. The fight is a big deal to Wilder – so much so that he is no longer interested in Anthony Joshua.
“As soon as he gets this guy [Pianeta] out of the way, it’s done. That’s how simple it is,” Wilder said today. “Be ready, I’m coming to knock you out, plain and simple. The champion is here and he’s going to take out Tyson Fury. It’s an excitement and it’s making the whole thing even better. Fury has to do what he needs to do tomorrow so that when we come to fight, that’s how much excitement and aggression there will be. I have no words for Joshua, it’s solely on Fury. Joshua is old news, there’s a new kid in town – Tyson Fury.”
Wilder, who insists he did all he could to try and make the big fight with Joshua, seems to be genuinely happy and excited now that he has at last got himself a fight that could genuinely be described as a mega-fight. Wilder’s tough fight with the avoided Luis Ortiz was big, but Wilder Vs. Fury: the WBC king against the lineal king, both men being unbeaten, is a whole lot bigger.
Whether it’s big enough to make us fans forget all about a Wilder-Joshua fight the way it has been put from Wilder’s mind is something else; but right now we have a whole load of overblown hype and a whole load of trash-talk to look forward to; while the security men had better make darn sure they are on their toes every step of the way!
Let’s see Wilder and Fury go at it once again after the comebacking lineal champ has dealt with Pianeta in Belfast tomorrow night.
Watch Fury v Pianeta and Frampton v Jackson on TV or mobile via the BT Sport App from 7.45pm, Saturday 17th August.
