Tyson Fury learned a lot about himself in thoroughly outboxing Deontay Wilder toward a controversial split draw in December 2018.
Looking back at the incredible fight, the lineal heavyweight champion was able to pinpoint his biggest error from the bout as well.
"The biggest mistake I made last time was not making him pay when he was hurt," Fury told reporters on a media conference call late last week. "I didn’t know what I had in the tank last time. I'd never done 12 rounds (in my comeback). It's a long time. This time, I know I can do the distance and we're not getting hurt. I'll throw everything but the kitchen sink at him and he won't know what hit him."
In admitting that he didn't take advantage of a vulnerable Wilder at times during their first fight, while vowing not to get hurt in their Saturday, Feb. 22 rematch, Fury also learned something about the WBC heavyweight champion that he intends to exploit at the MGM Grand this weekend.
"I learned he can be hit, and he can be hurt quite regularly," Fury said. "That's the biggest thing that I learned about Deontay Wilder. Nothing I didn’t already know. Before I fought him, obviously I didn’t know what he was like in a boxing ring, and after I fought him, I know what he's like. And I think there's nothing to worry about. He's got a big right hand and that's it. He's a one-dimensional fighter, and I'm going to prove that on the 22nd of February."
Fury insinuated that the pressure is on Wilder, not him.
"The one who should be concerned is Deontay Wilder because, with him being a one-trick pony, he's a knockout artist, but he knocked me down twice in two rounds, nine and 12. And he had over two minutes in each round to finish me and he couldn’t finish me," Fury continued. "It was like on Mortal Kombat. They said, "Finish Him!," and then couldn’t finish him. So, yeah, he's the one who should be concerned. He's landed the two best punches that any heavyweight in the world could ever land on somebody else, and the 'Gypsy King' rose like a Phoenix from the ashes back to my feet and hurt him in the end of the round. So yeah, it's going to be pretty difficult for Wilder, not me."
During this entire buildup toward the fight, the "Gypsy King" hasn't been shy about targeting a knockout of Wilder in their rematch. During his conference call with the media last week, Fury once again stressed the importance of producing a KO.
"The judges have to believe it, and to guarantee a victory, I've got to get a knockout because I don’t want to leave anything unturned this time," Fury said. "I don’t want another controversial decision.
"That's what they get paid to do, so yeah, but in order to guarantee a victory, I think you’ve got to take it out of anybody's hands," he continued about the judges. "My own destiny lies in my own two fists."