Frank Warren believes the ‘only way’ Deontay Wilder could beat Tyson Fury in the third fight of their triology is by utilising his speed and getting under Fury’s jab.
Wilder was comprehensively beaten by Fury in their second fight in Las Vegas – after their first in Los Angeles ended in a controversial draw – in what was a dominant display from the British WBC champion.
Fury stopped his American opponent in the seventh, flooring him twice in earlier rounds, but despite being outgunned, Wilder is still planning on triggering a rematch clause in order to lock fists with the 6’9″ Briton for a third time.
Warren, Fury’s promoter, admitted he was surprised by Wilder’s approach – the American came into the fight at the heaviest weight in his career to date – and believes he would need to come in lighter at the next weigh-in and utilise his speed and powerful punches if he’s to have a chance of upsetting Fury.
‘I expected him to come in a bit lighter, for speed,’ Warren told The Telegraph. ‘The only way I can see him beating Tyson is with speed.
‘He’s got the power – we know he can throw the punches. He’d have to come in, get underneath Tyson’s jab, be really sharp and fast and let his shots flow. Tyson’s ramrod jab kept him on the back foot.
‘Tyson was the aggressor. When we made the first I fight I watched him [Wilder]. I studied him and studied him.
‘I told Tyson – you’ll be too much for him. He absolutely did a job on him – mentally, physically. He did him in every department.’
Warren would much rather Fury fight fellow British heavyweight Anthony Joshua next – in a historic bout that would see one of them unify the division – and he is willing to explore the option of Wilder accepting “step aside” money in order to fast-track the fight with Joshua.
‘It would be expensive – but who knows. The only way you find it is if you try,’ Warren added.
‘He’s made some stupid statements, I think. I hoped he’d take the defeat as I think he should have done – with grace. All that nonsense about the [ring walk] costume [weighing him down] was garbage.
‘We’ve got a contractual position on this. There is a rematch clause [for Fury]. Joshua does have to fight [Kubrat] Pulev, he does have to fight [Oleksandr] Usyk – so all those obstacles would have to be overcome if we wanted to go straight to the Fury-Joshua fight. That’s tough.
‘All I can say at our end is that if we can do it we’ll do it, for obvious reasons. I think Tyson will do a job on him.’
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