Tyson Fury wants Deontay Wilder to hang up his gloves. The former WBC champion feels his old rival is no longer the fighter he once was.
Fury retired in January after losing twice to Oleksandr Usyk. He now turns his attention to Wilder's career, which has taken a downturn since their trilogy of fights.
In a recent interview, Fury said:
"Being truthful, I'd like to see poor old Deontay retire from boxing."
Fury pointed out Wilder's impressive record before they met in the ring.
"When I beat Wilder, he was 44 and 0, with 43 KOs, and he KO'd the guy who went the distance with him in the rematch, so that means he knocked out every single person he ever faced. 44 people."
The three fights between Fury and Wilder were brutal affairs. Their final bout, which Fury won by knockout in the 11th round, took a heavy toll on both men.
"Obviously, he lost the three fights to me and since that third trilogy, we took a lot of lot of years off each other's lives. That war, which ended in the 11th round by knockout, that took a lot out of our tanks. Between me and Wilder in that trilogy there was 10 knockdowns. It takes a lot out of a fighter."
Since then, Wilder has suffered two more defeats against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. Fury believes these losses show Wilder is past his prime.
"Even when he's come back and had a couple of fights since, he's only a shadow of his former glory. The only thing left that remains the same about Deontay is his name."
Despite Fury's advice, Wilder plans to continue fighting. He's scheduled to face Tyrrell Herndon in June in Wichita, Kansas.
While Fury focuses on Wilder's career, many fans hope he'll come out of retirement. A fight against long-time British rival Anthony Joshua remains a tantalizing prospect for boxing enthusiasts.
Meanwhile, Oleksandr Usyk, who defeated Fury twice, stands as the undisputed heavyweight champion.
