DEONTAY WILDER reiterated his claim he would knockout Mike Tyson in his prime – by stating he has the attributes and “killer instinct”.
The Bronze Bomber steps back into the ring on Saturday night to defend his WBC heavyweight title against Tyson Fury in Las Vegas.
But as well as trash talking the Gypsy King, Wilder reckons he would have got the better against the original Tyson – “Iron” Mike.
Despite Bob Arum’s claims he is an “atrocious” boxer lucky to be blessed with freakish power, Wilder boasted to EsNews: “My hand speed, I’m too long, I’m too tall, my athleticism, my feetwork, all that gives me an advantage, it plays a big part.
“No disrespect to Mike Tyson, in his era he was the best but this is a new era.
“No old-school fighter should beat a new-school fighter. Look at the technology we have.
“Nobody has a natural killer instinct as I do, ain’t anybody could ever knock me out. I’m very confident in what I say and I speak what I do.”
Asked in 2018 if he would have a chance against Tyson, Wilder confidently said: “Yes.”
He then added that it doesn’t matter which heavyweight in history he came up against because he feared none of them.
Wilder announced: “Old school [or] new school, I knock them all out.
“Me vs Tyson in ’86, I’d kick the hell outta that guy.
“Listen, I’ve got to keep it real. I know people always go back to the old school or look at the new school and there’s no school where I’m not No1 on Earth.”
Tyson originally responded to Wilder’s suggestion he would KO him by rebuffing: “I don’t think so.”
But ahead of Fury vs Wilder II, the 53-year-old added: “I don’t know [whether I’d beat him]. I love the fact that he thinks that, because that’s the way I would think as well.
“He’s supposed to think that way, he is the heavyweight champion of the world and that’s something very special.”
And the Baddest Man on the Planet added that he is backing his British namesake to claim the WBC crown this weekend.
He said: “I like both of them as fighters, they both came from nothing and achieved becoming heavyweight champion, you have to respect that, I was in their position one time.
“In the first fight I was hoping for Tyson Fury, I always pulled for him because he was named after me, that is the natural thing to do, right?
“I was always biased toward him. He is very likeable, he is a nice person.”
Ahead of his rematch with the Gypsy King, 6ft 7ins Wilder has a record of 42 wins from 43 fights with 41 by knockout, holding the WBC belt since January 2015, with his only other result that controversial draw with Fury in December 2018.
Tyson, meanwhile, is nine inches shorter and won 50 of his 58 pro bouts – 44 by knockout – becoming the youngest man to win the a heavyweight title aged 20, but he did suffer six defeats as his career – and life – went off the rails.
Tyson won 50 of his 58 professional fights and was the youngest heavyweight world title winnerCredit: AFP – Getty
Wilder remains unbeaten in his career and has won all but one of his fights, with the draw coming against Tyson FuryCredit: AFP or licensors
Bob Arum says that Deontay Wilder is an ‘atrocious boxer’ but has freak knockout power with staggering record
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
