The eagerly awaited rematch between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on February 22nd, and both fighters have been revealing snippets of how they are preparing for the heavyweight clash. However, one that is sure to catch your eye is the Gypsy King’s new technique to ‘toughen up’ his knuckles.
The pair’s first meeting at the Los Angeles Staples Centre in 2018 ended in a controversial draw, as Fury, who picked himself up off the canvas twice, thought he had done enough to win the bout, and this time he’s hoping to win the fight with a second round knockout.
The 31-year-old, who has the backing in the odds on Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder, has been no stranger to odd revelations in the past, and this isn’t even his first in the build-up to this fight, having already claimed that he is going to knock the Bronze Bomber out inside just two rounds – a strategy not regularly used by Fury.
Speaking to Top Ranks’ Gareth A Davies, the Gypsy King revealed that he is going to dip his hands in petrol for several minutes a day in the month building up to the fight after seeking guidance from bare-knuckle boxer Joe Joyce.
“I was speaking to an old legendary bare-knuckle fighter from the travelling community, he’s called Big Joe Joyce.
“He told me about dipping his hands in petrol to toughen them up.
“So for this fight I’ll be dipping my hands in petrol for five minutes a day during the last three or four weeks of the training camp to really toughen them up.
“It worked for him, so I’m going to give it a try.”
Meanwhile, the Bronze Bomber has also revealed a new approach to this bout, claiming that he will be calmer when he enters the ring later this month.
The Alabama native, who is known for his heavy hitting and power, has won an impressive 41 of his 43 professional fights via knockout.
However, the Bronze Bomber has confessed that he attempted to ‘force’ his trademark shots in the last bout and has promised a calmer mentality this time.
In an interview with ESPN, Wilder said: “What I’d do different this time, the biggest part of it, the most important part of it: stay calm. Stay calm and pick your shots.
“The first time, I wanted to do something that I already knew I could do – that’s knock him out. ‘But I wanted to force it, and once I calmed down and settled in, it just happened. ‘This time it’s just naturally going to come on.
“That was my first pay-per-view, now I’m leading into my third pay-per-view, so that’s flushed out of the pipes as well.
“I’m just in a happier place in my life at this point in time, and I think that’s what’s going to carry me a long way, especially in this fight.
“So I’m expecting a knockout. It’s going to be an amazing fight while it lasts, and I don’t want people to miss it.”