Tyson Fury spoke with Mark Kriegel just days before his fight against Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas. They discussed his thoughts ahead of the fight, what he expected from Wilder, and how he felt about Anthony Joshua's defeat to Oleksandr Uzyk.
Editor's Note: This interview was edited to be more concise and clear.
What do you know about Deontay wilder?
What has he taught me about himself? He's a top fighter, I learned. What does that mean?
No.
This means that he is only happy when he has control and when he wins. I have learned that he does not like to take punks and that he also has a fragile mentality.
Please explain.
All these excuses he has been making. He has a whole world of stories that he makes up. Mentally unstable. He was a very, very, very mentally unstable person. It always shows you the man's essence when he is at his lowest point in life or his career.
What have you learned about him? What do you think he has learned about himself?
That is what I believe. He's not as strong as he once believed.
Do you think he is aware of that?
He knows this. He knows that. It is a difficult place to live. It's a place I would not want to be. Although I have been through some low points in my own life, including depression and anxiety, he is probably right now in the same place.
He hasn't said that to me.
Acceptance is something I have been talking about often. To be able recover from defeats, or your darkest moments, you must be able let go. Deontay Wilder has not shown me that.
You could be accused of cheating. How does this make you feel?
Because I know that these accusations are coming from someone who is unwell, I haven't paid much attention. Unwell people are not able to be held responsible for their actions. This is especially true if they make verbal accusations.
It's almost like December 2018, when I got the draw at California. It was like when I got the draw in California in December 2018. But I didn’t. It was just what it was. It's okay to move on. He's become a bitter person because of his defeat. A boxing match has almost made him bitter. Although nobody likes to lose, the fact is that there will always be someone out there who will beat anyone, regardless of who they are. You will be defeated if you are patient enough.
Above, Tyson Fury (WBC heavyweight champion) defends his belt against Deontay wilder in Las Vegas, Saturday. Ethan Miller/Getty Images
You would probably say, "OK, I got my ans kicked."
Our bodies are built differently. Anthony Joshua lost all his belts to Usyk recently. He didn't make excuses. He didn't cry. He didn't complain about it. He was not content to complain about it. The same with Andy Ruiz Jr.'s knockout. Many people said that he was anxious about going to the ring and was depressed. He didn't make any excuses and I think that is a very different man to what I am facing.
Let me reverse it. Did Joshua lose too easily? Is Joshua too content with defeat?
Yes, I believe he was okay with it. He came to terms with it halfway through fight -- that he was going lose anyway. There is a code among fighters. There has to be a code among fighters. I beat you, good luck!
"I am just fighting for survival. You will die if you don't fight for your life no matter what occupation you hold. That's all. You will be walked all over. Because you don't have the courage to fight, you're not going to be anyone or go anywhere. Tyson Fury
That's what makes the difference. There wouldn't be many reasons. Even if my arm was torn or my leg was broken, I wouldn't mention it. I shouldn't have been fighting if I didn’t want to. I won't fight if I think there are a million problems. If I lose, I have no excuses.
You mentioned Usyk and Joshua. Every day, I report on the richest heavyweight bout in Saudi Arabia. It's a done deal. $250 million. It's a done deal: $250 million.
You can't do anything about disappointment once it is over. It was beyond my control. Joshua was unable to win his fight. I had to win my fight. Was I disappointed? Yes. Do I want to weep about it? It's not because if one door closes, a new door opens. Positive things can come out of any negative situation.
What door opens now?
First, I have a difficult little door I need to pass on Saturday night. After that, I will leave it to these highly experienced promotional teams I've partnered with. It's probably not worth learning what Bob Arum doesn't know about boxing. Frank Warren, Bob Arum -- Hall of Fame Promoters -- I am an undefeated World Heavyweight Champion, so I know they can do something for me.
Play 1:03 Wilder's new trainer could be the difference vs. Fury Mark Kriegel breaks it down. Deontay Wilder was preparing for his fight against Tyson Fury by Malik Scott's trainer.
Did you find it surprising that Usyk beat Joshua?
No. In an interview, I stated that I believed that it would happen. Joshua lost all of his ideas after only a few rounds.
Are you able to hold Wilder personally responsible for the pursuit of the rematch or the third fight when you could have had a more lucrative fight in Saudi Arabia.
Yes, it's true. You went from getting the $250 million fight to now getting what he got for his last fight -- 5, 10, 15, million. Big difference.
$250 million plus a rematch.
Yes. He has. He has.
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Did you find it surprising that there wasn't a step aside? It never became a serious issue.
Yes, they asked me if I would be willing to pay him money. I replied that I would rather smash his face in again. However, there were no real discussions about it.
We'll see what he does Saturday night.
The history of the game is well-known. I can't think of a trilogy. Certainly not one that was heavyweight. It is not easy to beat a formidable man three times in succession. Let's forget about the split draw decision.
It is difficult. It's difficult. But I don't fear anything.
I understand you aren't afraid but is he still dangerous to me?
He is. He has 44 fights and 41 knockouts in 42 victories.
Are his actions more or less risky now that he has never been beaten like this?
He's like a caged cat, waiting to be released. He has nothing to lose. He has already lost all hope. He cannot go lower than he is capable of, and he is getting paid a lot. Put yourself in his shoes: Why is he fighting this fight? He is likely to make between 10-20 million dollars. He should take up this fight. He's likely been paid peanuts for fighting in the past. I know this because I have. Why would I not want to fight someone for 20 million dollars?
Fighters fear humiliation more than anything because they are fighters.
It's quite different. You're an escort when you're a prizefighter. You are a prostitute. You are not fighting for nothing, are you? You are fighting for money and the victory. But even after the victory is over, you still have to fight for your money. We've seen it time and again over the years.
Tyson, it has been in your family for a while. While I can understand your concern about money, it is true that you are fighting for glory.
What do you know? Mark, I'm not fighting for anything. This is the truth. Only fighting for survival. Tyson, if you asked me right now, what would you like? Off the record, without interviews, just what do you want? You would get an honest answer that I don't want. I don't desire anything. If there were something I wanted, I would go get it. Do I really want anything? I don't have any ambitions.
People often look at me and say, "Why don’t you do that?" Why don't YOU do this? All these Instagram followers follow you, and they have cameras crews and all that. You should consider starting a business, or a venture. You can use your name to do this or that." I'm not interested. I am not interested in business. I don't have an interest in the business. I don't want to get involved in any other business. I am content to stay on my own path. I am just a dumb boxer.
You are a great fighter and you know it.
I am a formidable fighter. You can take that away from me. I'm just another 6ft-9 bare bum in a shower.
Play 0:45 Wilder promises to exact his revenge on Fury Deontay Wilder has a bold prediction about when he will face Tyson Fury on Oct. 9.
You want to be remembered for a long time.
It's completely wrong. It wasn't about the belts, as I said even before beating Wladimir Klitschko. Wasn't about being remembered. I fight for crazy reasons. Right now, I am not fighting for glory. It is said that if you have a lot of money, it's not worth fighting for money. While you may fight for glory and all that, I honestly don't believe I am fighting for glory. It's temporary, and I don't fight for money. It's time to do the same thing over again.
I am just trying to survive. You will die if you don't fight for your life no matter what occupation you hold. That's all. You will be walked all over. Because you don't have the courage to fight, you're not going to be anyone or go anywhere. There will always be a fight, no matter what the cause. It must be done, and it has to be someone.
Wilder could do anything from his last fight to this one? Is there anything he could have done to defeat you?
Yes, that's right. And the boxing lesson before that was also a boxing lesson. He can always knock me spark out. He needs to do that. He should land on me and not let me get up. This is how he can defeat me. He can't beat him except for that.
Tyson Fury (left) has said that he will knock Deontay Wilder out when they meet for their third time Saturday. John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
He can still do a better job of setting up the right hand.
He'll try if he believes he can. It's difficult to do a better job with a man of 270 pounds swinging bombs at you. Every punch that I threw in that fight I tried to lift his head off of his shoulders. I wasn't touching him, I was trying get the plumbers to help him off the ground.
Mentality is everything. It's all about you and him. It doesn't matter who has the most training or who is the strongest boxer. It all comes down to the man's willingness to go further to win.
Will he go back to Deontay Wilder when he hits the jackpot? Or is there something he can do differently?
I don't know. Even though he is a different Wilder than the first or second time, I will have to adapt. They can't adapt to me, but I was born adapting. I have always been able to adapt to any situation I've found myself in.
Are you going to arrive in around 270?
Around the 270 mark.
What happens when the fighting ends?
I will punch his face in.
Play 0:59 Fury. Wilder's career ends when I defeat him Tyson Fury calls Deontay Wilder "garbage" before their third encounter in the ring.
Is it...
Is it able to go the distance? No chance. I will stop him again. I will smash him. This time, I'll submit. He'll be made to quit, just like an MMA fighter. I will punish him severely. I will really, really hurt him.
Who is going to throw in their towel? They are under instruction not to.
He'll be severely injured in the boxing ring. It will also be on his trainers. They will have to take it on their conscience.
What would you say to Mark Breland (former Wilder trainer)?
You are hired.
Is it before six or after six?
I don't know. We'll have to wait and see. He may get on his feet and run for a few rounds. If he doesn’t engage, it’s difficult to knock him out. It was almost like two bulldozers were in a ring meeting when he first came at me that way. He tried to knock me out and I tried to stop him. He was caught but I wasn't. This time, however, if he runs away, it could prolong the outcome. But I will get there sooner or later, and once I have gained some distance, it's over.
