Deontay Wilder has raised the stakes even further ahead of his monster heavyweight rematch with Tyson Fury on February 22 by claiming he'll retire if the Gypsy King's prediction comes true.

Fury, still scorned by the controversial draw in the first fight, has made it clear that he is going for the knockout this time around as he doesn’t trust US judges to award him the win by decision.

The Brit has even gone as far as saying he will win in round two.

In a sign of how determined he is to avenge the first fight and knock out Wilder, Fury has made a change in his camp, discarding his old trainer Ben Davison and replacing him with Sugar Hill Steward.

His second round prediction has provoked a fierce response from Wilder, however, who claims he'll call it a day if it comes true.

“He’s just promoting the fight or whatever. I just take it as that, and I don’t take it seriously,” said Wilder to TMZ Sport, as per BoxingNews24.

“Second round, nobody believes that.

“You know me, don’t blink. Just don’t blink. I’m horrible with predictions, and I’m the first to admit in calling out a round or a prediction.

"It’s a fun thing for me when people call out predictions, because you never know what’s going to happen.

"Sometimes things you have planned don’t go as you planned it, but him saying he’s going to knock me out in the second round is unbelievable.

He has pillows as fists. If he knocks me out in the second round, I’m retiring.

"I’m done. I already have six years left in the sport, but if he knocks me out in the second round, I’m done, bro, period."

If this did happen, it would blow all discussion of a much rumored trilogy fight later this year out of the water.

However, on previous evidence, it's going to be hard to imagine Fury knocking out Wilder. Fury’s most notable knockout victories have come against Christian Hammer and Dereck Chisora and those were a long time ago.

Wilder, on the other hand, almost knocked out Fury in the first fight, so you’d imagine that would be the more likely outcome.

Expect many more predictions and trash talking between these two before fight night in five weeks' time.