As Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder prepare for their second heavyweight title bout, the mood is somewhat different.
Ahead of their first fight in December 2018, the two boxers exchanged text messages on a regular basis – mostly concerning how much money they would make together.
But since Fury miraculously pulled himself up off the canvas in the 12th round of that dramatic night in Los Angeles, the frivolity has been shut down.
Fury has attempted to reach out to Wilder but the WBC heavyweight champion has not responded to any texts from the Gypsy King.
Discussing the change in their relationship and asked whether he’d got under the skin of his opponent by The Guardian, Fury replied: ‘I’m not sure.
‘I don’t read much into all that. I don’t get involved in mind games.
‘I’ve seen Wilder at press conferences and he seemed OK. He knows what he’s got to do. I know what I’ve got to do. That’s it. No more, no less.’
It’s another sign of just how much this fight means to the American – widely regarded as the heaviest puncher in boxing history – and Tommy Fury, Tyson’s brother who is expecting a late stoppage between the ninth and 12th rounds in the rematch, suspects he’s ‘nervous’ after failing to see off Fury in their first encounter.
‘Tyson is in phenomenal shape and he’s raring to go. He’s super sharp,’ added Tommy Fury. ‘As sharp as I’ve seen him… My prediction for this fight is a late stoppage from round nine to 12.’
‘I saw a very nervous man in Wilder,’ Tommy Fury told Behind The Gloves. I’ve been around boxing all my life and I can tell a man like Wilder keeps talking, talking, talking. He’s a very nervous man, he doesn’t look cool or calm at all. Tyson’s sat there, relaxed as anything. Wilder knows in his own head that he needs to prove [himself].
‘Wilder cannot simply look at this fight with Tyson and say he won it. As a man you can’t say that. Wilder knows it. Tyson is in Wilder’s head tenfold. And I can guarantee Wilder is going into this fight thinking “I’ve hit him with my best two punches, flush, and he got back up in the 12th round… so what do I do?”
‘He’s not going to beat Tyson in a boxing match, so what does he do?’
