The drastic changes Tyson Fury has made to his lifestyle and boxing training regime have been laid bare as he prepares to do battle once again with bitter foe Deontay Wilder.
Fury is looking to set the record straight following the last meeting, which controversially ended in a draw and saw ‘The Gypsy King’ recover remarkably from a huge knockdown.
Now, ahead of the eagerly anticipated second showdown, Fury’s close friend, advisor and camp manager Timothy Allcock has painted a picture of what has been going on behind the scenes.
‘Tyson has been sparring amazingly. Everything has been put into place, done properly and has benefitted him,’ Allcock told VegasInsider.
‘The big differences have been food, particularly strictness with what is in camp – silly little things like cans of Diet Coke have gone.’
Tyson Fury has completely overhauled his diet and lifestyle routine ahead of Saturday’s fight
Prior to his clash with Wilder Fury, seen here in June 2018, was carrying a much larger frame
In November 2017, a year before his first Wilder fight, Fury was tasked with burning off the fat
Fury’s weight loss prior to the first meeting with Wilder was the main talking point, after the former world champion completely overhauled his ravaged body to drop an incredible 10-stone.
The journey had begun in late 2017, when Fury was pictured in the gym with boxing legend Ricky Hatton, carrying a much larger frame and sizing up the challenge of burning off a huge gut.
‘We definitely had to rope in the food,’ Allcock continued. ‘Tyson never really stuck to the diet plan we gave him last time, he was always nipping out and eating fast food outside the camp – and all that has changed now.’
This time around Fury is looking to enter the contest as an athlete from the off, and has vowed to put on a spectacle and take pleasure in knocking out his opponent.
Part of Fury’s revised dedicated diet has been cutting out Diet Coke along with other items
Testosterone overflowed this week as Wilder and Fury publicly clashed ahead of the rematch
Both men took turns in launching one another across the stage as tempers started to flare
The last fight ended in a controversial draw, despite Fury recovering from a huge knockdown
Fury now insisted he has trained much harder and vows to knock-out his rival in Las Vegas
Dedication has been the key ingredient as Fury has worked harder and limited his visitors
Such has been the levels of concentration for the second header, Allcock revealed Fury’s contact hours with non-training staff have been limited and controlled.
‘We’ve also cut a lot of out of the way in terms of people visiting the house willy nilly,’ Allcock added.
‘There has been loads of different things which has brought together everything together like it should be to prepare for such a big fight.
‘Everything has worked for the best as Tyson knew if he went into this fight the way things were going, he probably wouldn’t stand the chance he has now.
‘It’s been a hell of a lot more disciplined and it had to be a bit like this. The last fight was very much like Rocky III when he fought Mr T’s character.
‘It was too much in the limelight, too much of the fakeness and we just had to go back to basics and pull the rope on certain things.
‘I’d say Tyson respects Wilder more in this fight, but Tyson knows he can beat him. The way Tyson has changed things, he is a better fighter because of it, which brings more chance of winning the fight,’ Allcock added, before revealing Fury did in fact want sacked trainer Ben Davison in his camp.
‘Tyson wanted Ben [Davison] in the camp, it was Ben’s decision not to come into camp.
‘But now there’s been a massive change in the trainers as well which has benefited him [and Isaac Lowe] massively.’
Allcock says the first fight was too much a limelight event, like Rocky versus Mr T in Rocky III
This time around Fury is said to have focused much more on discipline and dedication
Tensions are already sky-high ahead of Saturday’s blockbuster showdown in Las Vegas, after the final press conference between the two men erupted into a public shoving match and an overflowing of testosterone.
Bizarrely, Fury and Wilder have now been banned from squaring up to each other during the weigh-in as a result, after the Nevada State Athletic Commission opted to bar the two giants from close contact.
The Commission’s decision means that neither man will be able to look the other in the eye until they are across from one another in the ring on Saturday night.
‘In my 25 years in boxing I’ve never heard of an administrative body stepping in and prohibiting a face off,’ Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank told ESPN.
‘It’s the pinnacle moment before the fight. I am just shocked.’