Deontay Wilder: record, next fight and profile →
It didn’t take long Tuesday for the attention to turn toward Deontay Wilder. A press conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was held to promote Tyson Fury’s fight against Francesco Pianeta. The Italian veteran is a huge underdog, though, a big man considered little more than a tune-up for Fury before he challenges Wilder for the WBC heavyweight title in November.
Tyson Fury has vowed to make “Italian sausage” out of German rival Francesco Pianeta or kiss his feet. The outspoken heavyweight made the statement in Belfast ahead of his latest comeback fight, after which he said he wants to go on to become a five-time world champion.
Tyson Fury goaded heavyweight rival Deontay Wilder ahead of his fight with Francesco Pianeta at Windsor Park on Saturday. Fury's comeback continues with a showdown against the experienced Pianeta in Belfast where Wilder will be present at ringside in his role as a television analyst.
Promoter Frank Warren has asserted a deal for lineal heavyweight champion Fury (26-0-KO19) to face WBC holder Wilder (40-0-KO39) later this year is “very close”, and the American ‘Bronze Bomber’ is heading to Belfast to watch Fury strut his stuff at Windsor Park on Saturday.
Tyson Fury (26-0, 19 KOs) meets former world title challenger Francesco Pianeta (35-4-1, 21 early) at Windor Park, Belfast live on BT Sports on Saturday night yet the former heavyweight world champion still had some choice words for WBC holder Deontay Wilder, who is expected to be ringside on the night, and unified titlist Anthony Joshua as he continues to stoke the flames early into his long-awaited comeback.
WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs) is not even worried about a unification bout with IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO beltholder Anthony Joshua (21-0, 20 KOs). Wilder has placed his entire focus on Tyson Fury (26-0, 19 KOs), who fights on Saturday night in Belfast against Franesco Pianeta.
Former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis believes Tyson Fury - because of his awkward style and physical abilities- is more difficult to beat than WBC champion Deontay Wilder and IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO champion Anthony Joshua.
WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder does not expect an easy fight when he steps in the ring with Tyson Fury in a potential fall showdown. Fury made his return from a two-and-a-half-year absence against Sefer Seferi in June, the Briton comfortably recording a fifth-round victory in Manchester.
Deontay Wilder is coming to Northern Ireland this weekend. The WBC heavyweight champion will be ringside at Windsor Park on Saturday. Wilder announced on social media on Sunday night that he will be in Belfast for Carl Frampton’s WBO interim featherweight world title defence against Luke Jackson and Paddy Barnes’ WBC world flyweight title challenge against Nicaragua’s Cristofer Rosales.
Former unified heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (26-0, 19 KOs) is only a few days away from his second fight of the year. On Saturday night, Fury will hit the ring in Belfast when he faces world title challenger Francesco Pianeta.