Tyson Fury has been warned he is in danger of being knocked out by Deontay Wilder if he believes the hype ahead of the pair’s third meeting.
Fury is the overwhelming favourite to win in Las Vegas on Saturday night after his seventh-round stoppage in their last meeting but David Haye insisted the result hangs in the balance.
“[Deontay] Wilder has the ability to knock him out,” said former heavyweight world champion Haye. “People are so writing him off and you cannot do that against Wilder. I think there’s a strong possibility he wins the fight. It’s a 50-50 fight.”
Wilder looked to have won the first fight between the pair by knockout only for Fury to make a miraculous recovery and dominate the remainder of the fight, which was declared a controversial draw. In the second meeting, Fury dominated the American from the opening bell before Wilder’s corner threw in the towel.
In the aftermath, Wilder claimed he had been undone by a bicep injury and Haye believes Fury and his team need to pay better attention to that claim.
“Wilder had no answers last time and theoretically, if it starts the same way it did last time, there’s only one winner,” he said. “But Wilder didn’t have proper use of his right hand, which he’s claiming.
“Now because Wilder doesn’t have the silky skills or boxing skills that other fighters have, his whole knock-out power punch is what makes him stand out.”
During his time in the heavyweight ranks, Haye twice brought Wilder over to spar against him, and warned that Fury’s camp were underestimating the potential venom of his right hand.
He added: “Every single second and every single round, I was worrying about that right hand. If he detonates it and I’m not blocking it or riding it, I’m going to really, really feel it.
“If he didn’t have that weapon in that second fight, which he claims he didn’t, then I understand why he got absolutely bruised and battered. Wilder’s had plenty of time to heal and he should be back to his best.”
While Wilder’s fight preparations appear to have gone smoothly and relatively under the radar, Fury’s have not. The initial fight date was postponed after he tested positive for Covid while his daughter Athena had to be treated in intensive care after he recent birth.
“Tyson Fury didn’t look great in training, he only got to Vegas in September and he’s had well-publicised family struggles,” said Haye. “Fortunately, that all turned out ok but that would have taken a lot out of his mind and preparation. It’s hard to focus on a boxing match when it’s family. You live and breathe sport but that’s on the back burner when family are involved.
In Pictures | The Fight Chronicles of Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder
“And the fact he did so well in the second fight maybe gives him a false confidence of how good he is and how good Wilder is.”
BT Sport Box Office will show Fury v Wilder: The Trilogy exclusively live in the UK on Saturday October 9. For more info go to www.bt.com/sportboxoffice
