Tyson Fury swears he’s not bluffing. From a fighter adept at knowing when and how to deliver a calculated feint in and out of the ring, it’s hard to judge what’s true and what’s fake. It’s a guessing game
Fury continues to play it by still saying he intends to knock out Deontay Wilder on Feb. 22 in the rematch of a draw in which he led on the scorecards until a couple of knockdowns, first in the ninth round and again in the twelfth 14 months ago at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Conventional wisdom suggests that Fury just make a couple of elementary adjustments and stay away this time on Fox/ESPN pay-per-view at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.
But Fury is nothing if not unconventional. It’s part of his charm. Part of his game, too.
“Ten days until we find out if I’m bluffing,’’ Fury said this week during an international conference call. “People say many things. But we’ll find out if I’m man enough to back it up.
“The biggest mistake I made last time was not making him pay when I had him hurt. This time, I know I can do the distance, and when I get him hurt, I’ll throw everything but the kitchen sink at him.’’
Fury, who predicted a stoppage within two rounds in early January, said he discovered in the first bout that Wilder’s reliance on the singular power in his right hand makes him vulnerable.
“I learned that he can be hit, and he can be hurt quite regularly,’’ said Fury, who also had a profane explanation for what he has done to strengthen his chin since the knockdowns. “He’s got a big right hand. That’s it. He’s a one-dimensional fighter.”
Fury says only a win by knockout will be convincing.
“I can out-box Wilder very comfortably,’’ he said. “But it’s no good me believing it. The judges have to believe it. To guarantee victory, I need a knockout.
“I want it to be a defining win.’’