Wilder-Fury, a whole “unfinished theme” for the other heavyweight crown

The American defends on February 22 his belt of the World Council 14 months after the controversial fight in Los Angeles.

On February 22, Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury will reissue in Las Vegas a new chapter of their heavyweight rivalry after the memorable and controversial null match of 14 months ago in Los Angeles, where the British kisses twice on the canvas. “It's an unfinished topic and now I'm going to finish it. I'm going to knock him out. I'm the lion, the king of the jungle and I'm going to tear his head off his body,” the American promised, champion for the World Council (WBC).

The luxurious Novo Theater, a few meters from the Staples Center, hosted one of the main acts of promoting the fight on Monday, with the usual verbal excesses of the protagonists. “You will go to sleep in two rounds. I have had the same dream about the second round,” said Fury, 31, about his dream experiences with the 2 of the deck during a game of poker.

The fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas will be another step in the eternal redemption of the British, whose career has been splashed by alcohol, drugs and all kinds of excesses. In recent weeks he left his coach Ben Davison to start working with Javan 'Sugar' Hill, nephew of the legendary Emmanuel Steward. “If I didn't want a KO now, I would have continued with Davison,” said Fury, undefeated after 29 fights, 20 of them by speed.

“I can feel your nerves”

The memory of what happened on December 1, 2018 continue to float on the protagonists in the MGM Grand Garden Arena. “I can feel his nerves and his fear for what happened then,” Wilder said, referring to how he knocked down his adversary in the ninth and twelfth round. However, referee Jack Reiss allowed the 36-minute hurry to be rushed. The judges' cards (Alejandro Rochn, Robert Tapper and Phil Edwards) awarded a 115-111 for Wilder, a 114-112 for Fury and a 113-113.

Since then, the American, known as The Bronze Bomber, won credit by knocking out Dominic Breazeale and Luis Ortiz. Meanwhile, Wilder knocks rivals with a smaller shaft, such as Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin.

During the act, presented by the showman Jimmy Lennon Jr, who also took the microphone in Las Vegas, Wilder had no feeling in mentioning Fury's problems with cocana. However, the Manchester player surprised by referring to the memory of a classic fight, decided in the third round. “Take him to the center of the ring. We're going to have a fight like Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler,” he roared about that 1985 bout for the middleweight title.