Tyson Fury sets sights on Deontay Wilder stoppage

Tyson Fury says he will be targeting a knockout when he takes on Deontay Wilder in a rematch. The first fight between the two heavyweights ended in a draw and they are expected to meet again next year, providing Fury beats Sweden’s Otto Wallin next month and Wilder overcomes Luis Ortiz in November.

Fury is 1.05 to beat Wallin, with the Swede 12.00 to produce an upset. Fury was knocked down twice in their first meeting but most observers felt he had done enough to be awarded a points win, and the Briton says he will leave nothing to chance if a rematch does happen.

The 31-year-old accepts switching tactics may leave him more vulnerable but he thinks going for a stoppage will be the only way he can win if, as expected, the fight takes place in the US. “The mistake I made last time, which I won’t make again, was believe that it will be a fair playing field because we know it isn’t going to be, so I must knock him out,” he told ESPN.

“I don’t believe I can get a points victory over here because I clearly won that last fight. I outboxed him every round other than the two he knocked me down in.

“It’s clearly not possible for me to get a points victory so I have to change my style, which I’m happy with because I’ve never been as strong, never punched as hard, I’ve never been as confident as I am today. I am going to knock him out this time.

“I’m not going to tip-tap around boxing because we know where that got us last time don’t we so I believe it’s going to be him or me [getting knocked out].” Wilder is 1.22 to overcome Ortiz and the Cuban can be backed at 4.50 to claim the victory.