WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder feels โnervous energyโ is behind Tyson Furyโs decision to switch trainers and pile on the pounds ahead of their showdown in Las Vegas
After parting company with Ben Davison, Fury has teamed up with Sugar Hill Steward to prepare for the eagerly-awaited rematch at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on February 22.
The Briton has also bulked up in preparation to meet the 6ft 7in American again, their last contest during December 2018 ending in a controversial split draw โ with Fury having twice hauled himself off the canvas.
Wilder, 34, believes making so many sweeping changes proves Fury knows deep down he has to raise his fight game to another level for their rematch.
โI just think it is nervous energy from the first fight. He can go on and say he beat me by a wide margin, but he honestly does not believe that,โ the American said. โThat is why he wants to change up a lot of things, because if he did really believe that, he would not change up so much.
โHe would not have changed up from where he trained at, to his trainers, now he is putting his hands in gasoline to try to make them harder. He brought so many people into his camp, there is so much to keep up with all the changes.
โNext he will be going to see a spiritual adviser to ease his mind for what is about to happen to him in his body.
โAs fighters, we must do the things we feel which are going to give us confidence. I donโt think his confidence is that high with me because of the state of being I left him in. I gave this man a concussion.โ
Wilder added: โWhen you knock someone out and give them a concussion, you never forget that โ and when you go back in the ring with the person who did it again, that has to be stressful. You canโt sleep at night.โ
Fury had battled to a unanimous points victory over Swede Otto Wallin during September 2018, but suffered a deep cut to his right eye during the third round. Wilder feels that contest should have been stopped and the Briton was โsavedโ because of their scheduled showdown. The โBronze Bomberโ fully intends to open up Furyโs old wounds when they go head to head in Las Vegas.
โI am definitely looking forward to cutting that eye open again,โ Wilder said during a conference call on Tuesday.
โAnd once it is open, when blood is all in his face โ I might get a little bit on me as well, but that is alright, I will embrace it โ and then we will see if they are going to keep the fight on because I am already dangerous as is.
โWhen that eye gets cut open again and he gets blood in his face, then that is going to be up to the doctors and other people to take the protocols for that โ because I am coming in for the kill.
โYou already know my mannerisms and what I do โ I donโt come to play around at all, especially with this fight right here. This is everything to me.
โThe Gypsy King is going to get floored โ and this time around, he is definitely not getting up.โ
Wilder insists his full focus is on Fury โ and dismissed suggestions of an imminent showdown with Anthony Joshua, who regained the WBA Super, IBF and WBO titles with a points victory in a rematch with Andy Ruiz Jnr at the end of 2019.
โThe coward barely got his titles back, never mind step into the ring with the king,โ Wilder said.
โHe has been out of the picture. Ainโt nobody talking about him no more, so they donโt need to bring him up.
โWe are here right now โ February 22. Itโs all about Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury. Other than that nobody is in existence at this moment in time.โ