Cast your mind back to February, to the night that Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder squared off in the MGM, you will remember Fury’s dominant display which helped him finally beat Wilder after their first fight ended in a controversial draw.
You’d of thought that would’ve been it between the pair after Wilder didn’t even look like he had the slightest of chances of winning the fight. However, thanks to a clause in his contract Wilder has been able to get a third fight with Fury.
Wilder has given out plenty of excuses since the last fight, as to why he didn’t perform his best, we’ve all heard how his ring walk costume was “too heavy.”
Wilder has now come out with his weirdest statement yet, stating: "In my eyes, I don't see Fury as a champion.” Following up with: "He ain't the champion yet because we've still got one more fight left."
He has also gone on to describe his reasons behind him saying his ring walk costume was too heavy, telling ‘Premier Boxing Champions’ podcast:
“When I took off my mask, the things that I was doing. I've been in this sport a very long time, so people automatically know how I am. People that know boxing know that it wasn't Deontay Wilder on that night. I was a zombie on that night.”
I wasn't myself. I felt like a zombie
Wilder has also gone on say that he is still trying to take things into account from what happened that night and fully intending on exercising his right to a third fight with ‘The Gypsy King.’
That news was received in a very disappointed manner from British boxing fans, as this delays the potential matchup between Britain’s best heavyweights, Fury and AJ?
Wilder believes his decision to go ahead with a third fight with Fury shouldn’t come to much surprise, as he thinks the Wilder we saw in the last fight wasn’t “the real Deontay Wilder.” Weird, because it sure did look like him.
With the third fight between the two scheduled for October, Wilder is currently recovering from bicep surgery, an injury that was caused in the second fight with Fury and is the second time he has had to have that muscle surgically repaired.
Wilder hopes to have fully recovered and back training by the end of May.