Deontay Wilder has boldly claimed he will floor Tyson Fury with a knockout blow in the third round of their eagerly-anticipated heavyweight rematch.
The Bronze Bomber and The Gypsy King meet to do battle at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on February 22 in a second bout dubbed 'Unfinished Business' following their split decision draw back in 2018. Wilder is in a confident mood, and is adamant he knows how Fury works after going toe-to-toe with him in the ring last time out. The American WBC champion is calling an early end to proceedings, insisting three is the magic number this time around.
“I’m feeling more prepared, more ready,” he told SiriusXM's The Ak And Barak Show in an episode which airs today at 1pm EST (6pm in the UK).
“I understand a lot of things a little bit more, him as a fighter in the ring, he already showed me everything he's going to bring, you’ve already seen the best of Tyson Fury. There ain’t too much he’s going to change. I see he’s trying to get in different superstitions but at the end of the day, you’ve seen all of it.
“When I’ve seen him, been there with him and served my energy with him - that allowed me to be able to prepare for him a little bit different than last time because I’ve been in there for twelve rounds, I know what he’s capable of doing and I know what he’s going to do. This time around is a whole lot different.
“It’s just a little bit more motivation as well, my confidence is at an all-time high, as it always is, coming out from two dramatic knockouts, Dominic Breazeale and Luis Ortiz, and now I’m coming at Tyson Fury.
“My schedule has been busy but it’s been good for my career and it’s going to be great when it comes to February 22nd, when everyone gets to witness a devastating knockout.”
When pressed, he clearly had a time in mind and was happy to share: "I ain’t good at predicting but I’m going to predict that the spirit moves in threes, the power is in threes, the number is three, speak all threes, speak it, believe it, receive it and the power threes!"
However, it is unlikely Fury will be fazed by Wilder’s latest comments with a week to go until the big night.
The 31-year-old has labelled his rival "one-dimensional" and is desperate for a big victory. The 2018 stalemate was the only fight of Fury’s professional career where he hasn’t won.
"I learned in that first fight that he can be hit and hurt," he insisted, as reported by BBC Sport. "He's got a big right hand and that's it. He's a one-dimensional fighter.
"He had me down twice and had two minutes in each of those rounds to finish me. Like in Mortal Kombat when they say, 'Finish him'... but he couldn't finish. He landed two of the best punches any heavyweight in the world could land, but the 'Gypsy King' rose like a phoenix from the ashes.
"The biggest mistake I made was not making him pay when he was hurt. However, I didn't know what was left in my tank because I hadn't been 12 rounds for a long time. This time I'll throw everything bar the kitchen sink. He won't know what hit him."
