Heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder drew attention recently by releasing a video alleging that Tyson Fury cheated during their February 2020 fight. Now Fury is firing back at his opponent. He said that Wilder had “lost his marbles” and that the cheating allegations are only another excuse for his loss.
“First of all it was the suit, then it was the bicep injury, then his trainer was on our team, then the referee was against him, then I had weights in my gloves,” Fury told TalkSport. “Now someone has spiked his water … it’s one of those things, isn’t it?” Wilder originally said that Fury had pulled his gloves down on his hand to put them in the improper position and that he “scratched the flesh” out of his ear. Additionally, Wilder alleged that Fury put weights in his gloves, resulting in large welts on the side of his head.
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“I highly believe you put something hard in your glove,” Wilder said about the February fight. “It’s the reason why the side of my face swelled up in an egg weight form. It left a dent in my face as well.” Wilder’s video also featured several photos that he used to back up his side of the argument.
In addition to alleging that Fury cheated, Wilder also called for his opponent to “honor their agreement.” The two men had agreed to a third fight to finish off the trilogy, but Wilder said that Fury’s camp claimed the deal had expired. Now Fury has responded and placed the blame solely on Wilder.
“The original date was July 18,” Fury said. “[…] That didn’t happen because he had an injury so it got put back 3 months to October. Then that didn’t happen because they were trying to get a venue. And then they had three dates in December — 5th, 12th, 19th — which I agreed to all them and obviously that didn’t happen. So, I’m not going to wait around forever.”
The two heavyweight boxers faced off for the first time in 2018. They went all 12 rounds in what many called the “best heavyweight fight in years.” Wilder registered two knockdowns during the fight, which he said gave him the win. However, Fury scored points of his own during a comeback effort, ultimately ending the night with a split-decision draw.
Fury and Wilder met once again in February 2020 in one of the most anticipated rematches of the year. Wilder was the favorite entering the bout due to his punching power, but Fury secured a TKO victory in the seventh round. Months later, Wilder released his video with the cheating allegations.
