Three-time world champion turned analyst Carl Froch feels Tyson Fury will be more affected by the postponement of his trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder, as the ‘Bronze Bomber’ will remain hellbent on revenge.
Last week, Fury-Wilder III hit the rocks after the WBC champion reportedly contracted Covid-19. It was the latest in a series of frustrating delays for Fury who saw a long-trumpeted, undisputed title bout with Anthony Joshua fall through in May after an arbitrator ruled he must face Wilder in a previously contracted trilogy fight.
The cancellation means Fury will not have fought since hammering Wilder to a seven-round defeat in February 2020. Both men have been out since, but Froch believes that absence, allied with Wilder’s thirst for redemption, puts the ‘Gypsy King’ at a disadvantage.
“I was really disappointed with the postponement because it’s a fight that I was looking forward to. Even though it seemed like it would be a one-sided fight for Fury, you can never ever just write any man off when he’s a huge puncher like Wilder,” Froch told Sky Sports.
“This delay is definitely going to hurt Fury more. They have both been out of the ring for the same amount of time, but Wilder is still going to be hungry, he’s got a point to prove. He’s been absolutely ridiculed and written off by loads of people. He’s been abused really on social media for a long time.
“I think Wilder is going to be like a man on fire, training for this fight, whereas Fury fought him the first time when he wasn’t in shape and still got a draw. Then in the rematch he absolutely battered him. It was a one-sided whooping, so Fury could be thinking, ‘Do I really need this?’
“He’ll know he can get knocked out by Wilder, so that will make him train hard, but I think this delay is more of a concern for Fury than it is for Wilder. Fury loves the sport and you see him in the gym on his social media when he’s training and he’s on it. But there’s only so much you can keep yourself motivated when you’re not busy and there’s nothing happening.
“The only chance that Wilder has got is to clip him, if Fury is not focused. But I don’t think Fury will be switched off, so I would still pick Fury, possibly on points or even another stoppage.”