Deontay Wilder backed to return with ‘a deep vengeance’ in Tyson Fury trilogy fight

Deontay Wilder has already upset the applecart by gatecrashing the heavyweight title picture and forcing a trilogy fight with Tyson Fury. And now the former WBC champion is set to bounce back with a huge chip on his shoulder.

That’s the view of multi-time, multi-weight women’s boxing world champion Claressa Shields, who is a close friend of Wilder, and shared her view on his surprise re-emergence as a challenger to Fury’s WBC title following an arbitration court’s decision last week.

Fury was all set to take on Anthony Joshua in a heavyweight title unification bout in Saudi Arabia on August 14.

But, when news emerged that Wilder’s case for a trilogy fight with Fury had been upheld by an independent arbitration court, the WBC ordered Fury vs Wilder 3 to take place this summer.

And, after Fury signed his portion of the fight contract at the weekend, the matchup now looks set to take place in Las Vegas on July 24.

Speaking to The Mac Life, pound-for-pound women’s boxing star Shields said that Wilder could not be criticised for wanting to get back in the title mix, and said the two previous meetings between the pair have left enough questions to still justify the need for a third fight.

“I feel like with the whole little charade and everything that’s going on, nobody can be mad at Deontay Wilder for wanting the trilogy,” she said. 

“Can’t be. Because, in my opinion, Deontay Wilder won the first fight that was a draw. 

“He dropped Tyson Fury twice. I was there in person. I’m a calculated fighter, so there were some rounds where Tyson Fury threw four punches and Deontay Wilder threw three. How can you decide who won the f****** round?! Seriously!

“So I wasn’t mad that the fight came out as a draw. 

“But, when you add that there was all those close rounds, and you see Deontay Wilder knocked him down twice, the fight goes to Deontay Wilder, in my opinion.”

Shields said that Wilder is set to return with a huge chip on his shoulder, as he looks to earn payback for Fury’s seventh-round TKO victory in their second meeting.

“In the second fight, Tyson Fury totally destroyed Deontay Wilder, for whatever the reasons were,” she said. 

“His water was too tight, the suit, whatever. Whatever he says, whatever he feels happened, he got destroyed that fight. 

“When a fighter of that calibre gets destroyed in that way, only a loser, and a loser who feels they are losing inside of them, will be OK with that.

“Deontay Wilder is 100 per cent right for wanting a trilogy. He has to. 

“Even if he loses again, he has to get in there and he has to, to himself he’s gotta know, was that real, what really happened? If it happens twice, it’s real. Trust me. 

“But maybe it was a bad night for Deontay. Does that solidify his whole career? He’s a champion at heart, and when champions lose, you see them come back with a deep vengeance, and that’s what Deontay Wilder wants. 

“Yeah, we all want to see Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. Who doesn’t?

“But at the same time, you can’t just think that Deontay Wilder should just sit back and let the guys fight. It would be great, but he’s a champion who wants to get his licks back.”

Shields also gave her pick for the fight, as she admitted her ties to Wilder, though she revealed she’s also a big fan of Fury as a fighter.

“Wilder’s like my family, and I’m a fan of Tyson Fury. But I will say I just look forward to seeing a good fight,” she said. 

“I don’t think it will be as one-sided as the was the second fight. I think that Deontay Wilder went back to the drawing board. He got rid of some people. He added some people. 

“And he’s way more mad than he was before. He was always pretty mad anyway in the media. But now that anger is going to lead to him going to the gym and actually padding up, him hitting the bag.

“Tyson Fury is a great heavyweight, and I’ll be there to see the trilogy, if it happens.

“Let the best man win, but I will want Wilder to win, that’s just my pick. 

“I’ve cheered for Wilder every fight against Fury, because I’m actually very close with Deontay Wilder and his family.”