• ‘Wilder’s not really fought anybody and he’s had 40 fights’ • Former champion takes on Italian in Belfast on Saturday

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Tyson Fury managed to find time to goad his heavyweight rival Deontay Wilder as the Englishman prepares for another comeback fight, with Francesco Pianeta at Windsor Park on Saturday.

The former world champion’s return to boxing continues with a showdown against the experienced Pianeta in Belfast, where the American WBC champion will be at ringside in his role as a TV analyst for BT Sport, which is screening the event.

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Negotiations for the two to meet in December are at an advanced stage and should Fury overcome Pianeta, one of the division’s super-fights will move a step closer.

“If I come through this then Wilder has the chance to fight me for the lineal championship. Let’s face it, he’s not really fought anybody and he’s had 40 fights,” Fury said.

Pianeta, born in Italy but based in Germany, has lost only four of his 40 fights, with Wladimir Klitschko, Ruslan Chagaev and Oliver McCall the bigger names on his résumé.

“I study my heavyweights and I know he’s fought some good men. He’s a big strong fella and he knows that if he wins he will fight Wilder instead of me,” Fury said. “He’s going to try to knock me out. Hopefully he won’t be successful and we’ll put on a show.

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“He’s southpaw, which is a lot more awkward because there aren’t many of them in the division, so it’s hard to get sparring. But every southpaw I’ve ever fought I’ve knocked out.

“What you’re likely to see from me on Saturday is a heavyweight Sugar Ray Leonard. Anything less is a failure. Judge me on that comment – a heavyweight Sugar Ray Leonard.”

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Fury made his comeback in June after two-and-a-half years out of the ring by overwhelming Sefer Seferi inside four rounds having shed in the region of 10st in order to get back to fighting.



“The old Tyson Fury is gone, never to be seen again. The new Tyson Fury is here now. All I can promise is to put on a good fight,” he said.

“I do want to win a world title again so I have to raise my game after three years out of the game nearly and ballooning up to 28 stones. To lose that weight has been mentally and physically draining and to do it there has to be a want in the brain and I have that. That’s why I’m a sick boxer and I win fights.”