By Gabriel Princewill-
Deontey Wilder told Tyson Fury he is the baddest man on the planet and vowed to show no mercy on the gypsy king when he looks over his knocked out body on the canvas on December 1st.
The unbeaten heavyweight giants got physical with each other at their final news conference in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday as their three day series of promotional tour came to a close. The cumulation of taunts and insults directed at each other must by now have been taking their toll privately on both fighters. The pay per view showdown between the two extroverts promises to be scintillating, given the projection of supreme confidence by each of the unbeaten combatants.
Fury has dished out most of the insults in the promotion of their first pay per view event, referring to Wilder as a bum who can’t box, one who has a skinny frame that can’t beat him, and then referring to him as a dosser, offering no clarification to his use of the word. A dosser in typical terms has no stability or productive endeavour, but this term is inherently not applicable to an unbeaten world champion with six successful defences.
His comment to Wilder to ”brush his teeth” when the pair were nose to nose was probably the last straw on the camel’s back. Fury was basically being derogatory to Wilder, winding up the knock out merchant all but one of whose previous opponents have failed to hear the final bell.
“You’re dealing with the baddest man on the planet,” Wilder said to Fury. “When I look over your body, I’m not going to have no mercy for you.” Mercy is indeed antithetical to the blueprint of attack and destruction that characterizes the animated and matcho sport of boxing. Action is what fight fans yearn, and if the rhetorics displayed is anything to go by, the Staple Centre should have plenty of fireworks come December
Against each other, neither Wilder nor Fury has shown restraint in their utter disregard for the other’s chances of victory. The only thing about which both men have a united front is their disdain for London golden boy Anthony Joshua, whom they have berated over the aborted unification clash with American Wilder. Hearns recently sent a renewed offer to Wilder’s team for an April clash with Joshua, but the Americans are still engrossed in the Fury build up and preparations to ensure their man emerges triumphant come December.
Fury and WIlder’s fierce and damning trash talk is a big sell for a heavyweight exhibition on the first day of the Christmas month ahead. Fight fans just can’t wait, it should be a great spectacle.
BIGGEST
The fight is being billed the biggest U.S. heavyweight fight since Lennox Lewis’ victory over Mike Tyson in Memphis in 2002.Wilder, who talks a great game, is favorite to shut Fury up when the pair finally lock horns. At just under 15 1/2 stone, the heavy handed American has blown away many big men in his 40 fight career. He is expected to add Fury’s scalp to his list of victims. Fury on the other hand is a volatile character who often looks cumbersome and ungainly in fights, but can also be very aggressive and technical against different opponents.
Fury must be trusted to get in the shape of his life for this huge showcase. Unless he is stupid, the unbeaten gypsy man knows he is expected to kiss the canvas at the end of the night and return to Britain in shame and embarrassment. He will be fired up for this, as would Wilder, and both will continue to train very hard until fight night. The bad news for Fury is that short of being at his very best and more, he will end up being bashed silly before the world. Judgment must be reserved until fight week.
Photograph: Getty Images