Deontay Wilder has a cracked skull that ‘cracked like an egg’ when the former heavyweight champion fought rival Tyson Fury.
That’s the view of John Fury, an ex-boxer and father of “The Gypsy King.”
Having defeated Wilder twice, once in 2020 and again in 2021, Fury engaged in warfare with the American puncher. Both men hit the canvas several times and endured massive shots to the head. Their last battle was voted Fight of the Year, with a fourth meeting on the cards until Wilder lost to Joseph Parker in 2023.
Wilder followed up that defeat with a knockout defeat to Zhilei Zhang, ruling out any chance to build on the saga with further collisions against Fury.
Deontay Wilder alternative
World Boxing News reported that Wilder was Fury’s choice for a fourth fight, potentially at Wembley, until Dillian Whyte got the mandatory nod. Fury took out Whyte in style before dispatching Derek Chisora for a third time as Wilder got locked into a failed PBC event against Andy Ruiz Jr.
Fury and Usyk then faced off for the undisputed title and will do so again in December as Wilder contemplates his next move. The fact that Wilder didn’t get a fourth shot will please John Fury, who feared for Wilder’s safety if the stars had aligned for that fourth fight in 2022.
“I’m worried about him fighting Wilder because I’m afraid of him killing Wilder,” Fury told The Mirror. “Wilder’s got a cracked skull. His skull is cracked like an egg. That kind of thing can’t be repaired, so if Tyson hits him again, he could kill him.”
Wilder will get hurt in the fourth Fury fight
Continuing on the one-sided nature of the Fury vs. Wilder trilogy, John doesn’t see a fourth installment as needed despite the 2021 FOTY honor.
“So I’ve said, ‘Unless you want a funeral on your hands and the death of Deontay Wilder, keep from him.’ He’s beaten him three times and massacred him each time. He beat him [in the first fight, which was scored a draw] when he’d just lost eight-stone. He’d been out of the ring for three years.
“He poses no threat. The only danger he poses is Tyson killing him. That danger and smoke, we don’t want. Let him go faff about with these blokes he can hit once. They’ll lay on the floor and carry on. He’s no good to Tyson.
“I don’t want to go to my grave knowing my son’s killed somebody,” concluded Fury.
Wilder’s poor form could lead him to Anthony Joshua again after the Briton got knocked out by Daniel Dubois. Fate seems to be pushing Joshua and ‘The Bronze Bomber’ together by default, which will be another test for Wilder’s so-called fragile bone structure.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
