Deontay Wilder is still determined to secure another shot at Tyson Fury, with the ‘Bronze Bomber’ calling to reignite their feud with a historic fourth bout.
While two years have passed since the last time the American went toe-to-toe with ‘The Gypsy King’, the ‘Alabama slammer’s’ hatred of the man who stripped him of his WBC championship belt lives on.
Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury have shared one of the greatest rivalries in boxing history
When Tyson Fury agreed to face the hardest puncher in combat sports history, the world thought he was mad, and with good reason.
Having abused his body with drink and drugs, the likelihood of the Brit surving 36 minutes against a man who possesses the power of a horse kicking, seemed undeniably insane.
However, using his slick footwork and mesmerising head movement, Fury left his opponent chasing shadows, to dominate the contest despite going down heavily in the last round.
In a moment that left the world stunned, the judges scored the bout a draw, forcing the pair to go back to the drawing board to produce new game plans.
But while the Morecambe fighter promised he would box on the front foot in the second contest, Wilder didn’t believe him, and that ultimately spelt his demise.
Fury punched his arch-nemesis from pillar to post en route to a crushing victory that left the power puncher in a state of disarray, making excuses ranging from his ringwalk suit being too heavy to his own corner spiking his water.
Regardless, the result was comprehensive enough for Fury to move onto pastures new. Alas, Wilder went to court and exercised his right to one last dance.
Ultimately, the public expected a one-sided encounter, with the KO artist losing once again. However, in a testament to his remarkable powers of determination, Wilder managed to drop Fury twice, giving everything in his being to taking back the belt.
And while he eventually finished the night on the canvas, the world joined in unison in giving the warrior their respect.
However, the chance of another meeting with Fury looked unlikely, until the giant lost himself.
Oleksandr Usyk could’ve given Deontay Wilder another chance at beating Tyson Fury
In one of the greatest heavyweight collisions of our era, Oleksandr Usyk and Fury went toe-to-toe in a clash of two boxing geniuses, utilising their mental strength to try and figure out almost unsolvable puzzles.
But while the big man had his moments, it was ultimately the Ukrainian who won the battle of the brains, outfoxing and almost stopping his adversary en route to writing his place into the history books as an undisputed world champion.
The defeat has ripped the aura away from a man who’d never previously tasted official defeat in the pro-ranks. However, as good as Usyk was, it’s clear that Fury’s not the same competitor that dethroned Wladimir Klitschko.
The erratic foot movement and sublime ability to move his head in a manner never before seen in a man his size, simply isn’t there anymore.
Ultimately, the punches he would’ve once slipped, are now hitting the target. And one man who can finish anybody if he lands clean is none other than Fury’s old foe — Wilder.
Deontay Wilder is desperate for another shot at Tyson Fury
With Fury still very much at the forefront of his mind, Wilder will never be able to look himself in the eye without claiming his nemesis’ scalp. And now, he believes he has the opportunity to do just that.
In an interview with Sportsbook Review, he asserted: “I want to make Tyson Fury pay so bad, so bad. I don’t think that chapter is over with. I could see a fourth fight. I could see a fourth in the making, created by the creators. The Saudis have the source and the power to make it all happen. I want to get it back so bad.”
However, before he sets foot in the ring with the man who’s been tattooed into his life, Wilder will have to dispatch of Chinese monster, Zhilei Zhang. But while ‘Big Bang’ has the power to put him to sleep, the former WBC champion believes he’s rediscovered the mentality that took him to the pinnacle of the boxing mountain.
He explained: “It would be the wrong thing to do [studying the Parker fight] because this isn’t the same Deontay; everything is different. The hunger wasn’t there; the mentality I have now wasn’t there.
“If he’s going to study something, he’s got to go back to the Luis Ortiz fights because that was the best southpaw in the world, with the best skills in the world. I’ve already faced the best southpaw, I love southpaws, I fight them very, very well.
“Go back and study the Artur Szpilka fight; that’s what he should be studying. If he’s studying the Joseph Parker fight, he’s going to be wrong. I don’t want nobody to judge me off of that fight.
“In that fight I could not pull the trigger, I saw so many openings, so many places where I could execute but my body [couldn’t]. It was so crazy to experience that. And maybe it came from the layoff or other things that happened in camp, but who knows?
“We can’t pinpoint what happened, but we know it happened, and I’ve made corrections. I made big changes. And it will never happen again. Joseph Parker is not better than me, at all.”