Tyson Fury has performed a dramatic U-turn in his ongoing dispute with Deontay Wilder, removing a mocking social media post and replacing hostility with concern for his former opponent’s well-being.
The British heavyweight had initially responded to Wilder’s latest accusations by sharing footage of his knockout victory on Instagram, captioning it: “The cheat was clear to see, big right hook was all it took.”
However, Fury swiftly deleted the post and adopted a different response.
Fury said: “Rather than retaliating and hating on somebody, this man really does have mental health issues – it’s evident to see.”
He added that he would pray for the American instead.
Wilder’s outburst came during promotional activities for his April bout against Derek Chisora, scheduled for Easter weekend in London.
The American has consistently maintained that Fury cheated throughout their trilogy, which ended in a draw in 2018, followed by two stoppage defeats.
Among his allegations, Wilder has claimed his opponent tampered with his gloves and accused referee Jack Reiss of giving Fury an extended count in their first encounter.
Tyson Fury has performed a dramatic U-turn in his ongoing dispute with Deontay Wilder
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Wilder said: “Being a black man with dark skin is harder to believe than being a white man.”
He described the referee’s actions as “white supremacy” and claimed Reiss gave Fury “an extra 15 count.”
The 40-year-old abruptly walked out of a talkSport interview when challenged on these claims.
Fury acknowledged that difficult circumstances can drive people to extreme behaviour, adding that Wilder has been experiencing troubles in his personal life and with his family.
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The 37-year-old said: “Whatever he says, I take it with a pinch of salt. I know it’s not personal.”
Despite their acrimonious history, Fury extended an unexpected olive branch to his former rival and offered an invitation to train together.
He said: “I hear he’s a brother in Christ these days and any brother in Christ is always welcome to come and train at mine.
“Needs to get away, needs to do some training, my door’s always open. We shared some great fights over the years.”
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Both fighters have bouts scheduled for April, with Wilder meeting Chisora on the 4th while Fury faces Arslanbek Makhmudov on the 11th.
Fury’s empathy towards mental health struggles stems from personal experience, having battled his own demons following his 2015 victory over Wladimir Klitschko for the unified heavyweight titles.
The Gypsy King was forced to relinquish his belts by 2017 after spiralling into depression and substance abuse issues.
His remarkable comeback saw him challenge for Wilder’s WBC title in 2018 after just two warm-up fights, eventually claiming the belt in their 2020 rematch before completing the trilogy with another stoppage victory.