Nelson: "Fury is the favourite, it's just a question of whether he's stayed motivated"

In exactly 30 days the trilogy between Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) and Deontay Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) is set to end. The favorite for this encounter is obvious, but Johnny Nelson, former world champion and now a boxing analyst for Sky Sports TV, warns his compatriot of danger.

"Wilder had time to swallow the bitterness of defeat and come to his senses. Rivaling him is like fighting a volcano that keeps bubbling up. Fury is still my favorite, but it's going to be a lot tougher than many people think. Tyson already knows he can beat him, the question is, has he fallen too far into self-love? Because Wilder still can't get over this defeat, and he really only needs one good punch to beat anyone. I don't know what Fury has been doing all along, but Wilder has been preparing for a rematch. If Tyson stays as focused and mobilized as he did last time, he'll be fine. If Tyson gets distracted, he could be in for a nasty surprise," Nelson warned.

"Fury has to go back to basics all the time, and I hope he hasn't been stupid enough to go downhill in the last ten months or so. Wilder could have made progress, but only if he acknowledged the fact that he lost twice. Because that draw in the first fight was quite a stretch. But he still blames everyone and everything, so I don't believe he's changed much as a boxer and his tactical plan has improved. If Fury still feels that hunger and still respects Wilder's punch, he will win again," Nelson concluded.

The Oct. 9 fight will once again feature the WBC heavyweight title on the line, only this time with "The Gypsy King" as champion and "The Bronze Bomber" as challenger.