By Miguel Maravilla
With just over a week to go, WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs) of Tuscaloosa, Alabama is geared up for England’s Tyson “Gypsy King” Fury (27-0, 19 KOs). Wilder takes on Fury December 1st at the Staples Center in Los Angeles live on Showtime PPV. The champ recently spoke to Fightnews.com® about his upcoming title defense.
“I’m ready. I’m feeling wonderful. My mindset, I feel like a killer,” Wilder said. “I just want to get in the ring and show action.”
Following his highly entertaining press conference tour with Fury which included stops in London, New York, and Los Angeles where things got heated between the two, Wilder once again held his training camp with his longtime trainer Jay Deas.
“I have been training in Alabama. It’s all about the sparring, the guys we have possess something quicker than him. Sparring has been tremendously well. Over and over again we have been preparing,” Wilder stated. “I must be prepared and ready. I am in the best shape, my mindset, body, everything is physically intact.”
“Deontay has had a fantastic camp and we’ve had really good sparring partners. Fury is a tall fighter, but it’s really the athleticism that makes him what he is. We believe we’re better off finding more athletic guys who are slightly shorter than Fury, rather than someone his height who is a statue,” Wilder’s trainer Jay Deas said.
Wilder is coming off an exciting stoppage over previously undefeated Luis Ortiz of Cuba, as the Cuban Ortiz was considered the most avoided in the division. This will be Wilder’s 8th defense of his WBC title he won over Bermane Stiverne back in 2015, the first and only time he went the distance.
“Ortiz was considered the boogeyman of the sport. I saw him as the best and I needed him. Beating Luis Ortiz, I celebrated my confidence, that put all my challenges to rest. I definitely learned a lot in that fight and it only makes me a more confident champion,” Wilder on his victory over Luis Ortiz in his last fight.
For Fury, the former champion won a technical decision over Sefer Seferi in his return bout last June after being out of commission for three years and in his last fight won a unanimous decision over Francesco Pianeta this past August.
“There is nothing at all that concerns me about him. He has a different style. He’s rangy, mobile and he believes he’s the best in the world It’s an awkward style but my experience will help me,” Wilder on Fury “He said he can box and all that but once he gets in that ring everything goes out,”
“Tyson Fury is kind of like a Rubik’s cube. But a Rubik’s cube can be solved. Fury is a very versatile fighter who can move, he can box and fight from lots of distances. He’s the total package as a fighter and on top of that he’s strong-willed mentally,” Wilder’s trainer Jay Deas on Tyson Fury “We have our hands full, but I know that Deontay Wilder is the guy to handle Tyson Fury. Deontay is the right guy to take over boxing and this is the first step in that,” Deas added.
The champ, Wilder will be making his 8th title defense as he takes on the former champion Fury who dethroned the longtime reigning undisputed champion Wladimir Klitschko. Those titles that Fury once held now belong to his countrymate current WBA, WBO, & IBF champion Anthony Joshua. With all eyes set now on the heavyweight division it’s likely that with a win over Fury, Wilder will set his sights on Joshua for a potential unification.
“I don’t want anyone to talk to me about Anthony Joshua, except that he is a coward and did not want to fight me,” Wilder said.
Wilder has made it clear that he is not looking past Fury as the champ looks to hand “The Gypsy King” his first defeat.
“My focus is Tyson Fury,”
It will be interesting to see how Wilder deals with Fury’s height and awkwardness, though has seen his fair share of taller opponents as he scored knockouts over 6’6 Gerald Washington in his fifth title defense and 6’7 Kelvin Price back in 2012. Those two foes however don’t even come close to Fury’s 6’9 height and frame.
“This will be the tallest fighter that I have faced. I fought a guy that was taller or just as tall as me. Kelvin Price and you all know what happened. Night, Night,” Wilder said. “My experience facing fighters of all styles has prepared me for this special fight,”
The 33 year old champ Wilder is confident in retaining his title and bring it back to his sweet home Alabama. With college football in season, The Alabama Crimson Tide, like Wilder are undefeated and look to defend their 2018 NCAA National Championship attempting to win back to back National Titles. Wilder, a proud Alabaman himself talked about bringing home the gold.
“Every time I fight, I bring it home to Alabama. We plan on keeping the title and keeping it here. Keeping it here in title town,” Wilder said.
This will be a battle between two giants with the 6 foot 7, Wilder and 6 foot 9, Fury colliding the heavyweight division is back in the spotlight. Expect an all action, exciting, and fun fight.
“We’ll see on December 1. It’s a puncher versus a boxer. I think the puncher is going to box his lights out, and then I’m going to knock his lights out” Wilder said. “Tune into this fight it’s going to be crazy,” Wilder promises.
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