Tyson Fury’s trainer explains thinking behind coming in at heavier weight for Deontay Wilder fight
The ‘Gypsy King’ faces Wilder for the third time in Las Vegas on 9 October
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Your support makes all the difference.Tyson Fury is set to weigh in at close to 300 pounds for his world heavyweight title fight against Deontay Wilder on Saturday, with trainer SugerHill Steward insisting the “bigger the better” ahead of the trilogy bout.
Fury weighed-in at 273lbs for his seventh-round TKO of Wilder in February 2020 but is planning to be at a career-heaviest weight for his first fight since.
The ‘Gypsy King’ began working with Steward ahead of his rematch with Wilder last year and had put on an additional 17lbs for the bout following his first meeting with Wilder under Ben Davison in December 2018.
Fury claimed in July that he would top 300lbs for the Las Vegas bout, before the fight was postponed due to the 33-year-old contracting Covid-19.
“It’s not going to be 300 pounds, it’s probably going to be like 290 or something but not 300 exactly,” Steward told Vegas Insider.
“Heavier than last time by 20 pounds or so, why not? The bigger the better, the heavier the stronger. He’s training with that weight, he’s built up. It’s not like he’s just putting on fat, it’s building up muscles.”
Fury’s career-heaviest weight came on his return to the boxing ring following a 31-month layoff in June 2018, when he weighed-in at 276 pounds for his defeat of Sefer Seferi.
The Briton is targeting another knockout win against the ‘Bronze Bomber’ but Steward has warned that his fighter is preparing for a refocussed and dangerous Wilder on Saturday.
“We’re preparing for the best Deontay Wilder that he can be,” he said. “Let’s just say he’s improved so much. You can’t go in there and think anything less.
“We’re preparing for him to come in at the highest peak of his abilities and that’s how we’re training and preparing – for the best Deontay Wilder.”
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