The traditional pre-fight stare down scheduled between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury was canceled as the heavyweights engaged in a heated argument during their recent press conference.
The upcoming bout this Saturday will mark the third time the two fighters will face each other in the ring. Fury holds the WBC heavyweight title, which he claimed from Wilder in their last match over two years ago. The dispute arose from Wilder’s persistent claims of foul play despite lack of evidence.
Wilder stood by his accusations saying, “I stand by my words. I firmly believe in what I claim.”
Fury didn’t hold back during the conference, questioning Wilder’s decision to hire a new trainer, Malik Scott. “If my victory was solely due to cheating, why the need for changes and additional effort?” Fury remarked. “Deep inside, he knows he lost and will lose again. After this fight, he’ll likely return to his previous job at a fast-food establishment. Retirement beckons for him.”
Given the escalating tensions between the pair, Fury’s co-promoter Bob Arum made the call to forgo the stare down at the end of the conference.
