Boxing

The first meeting between the pair, staged back in August 2020, was eventful to say the least – Povetkin getting knocked down twice in the fourth round before producing a sensational stoppage.

An uppercut in the fifth from the Russian turned the tables and emphatically burst Whyte's best-laid future plans inside the Matchroom bubble, having known a win would secure a shot at the WBC title.

It was just a second career loss for 'The Body Snatcher', who understands he cannot afford a repeat result on Saturday.

"This is the most important fight of my career," Whyte said at a news conference on Thursday.

"I've been through ups and downs throughout my life, I'm used to bouncing back, I'm used to coming back and proving people wrong, showing people what I can do when they've written me off.

"It's nothing. I'm constantly improving, he's a good fighter – top amateur, [Olympic] gold medal winner, world champion, all that.

"But I'm still improving and getting better every day. On Saturday, I'm coming to leave it all on the line once again."

With the ongoing restrictions regarding travel and fans attending events due to the coronavirus pandemic, promoter Eddie Hearn has opted to take the show on the road.

The Europa Point Sports Complex in Gibraltar will stage the second bout, so 500 spectators will be allowed inside the venue for what is being dubbed the 'Rumble on the Rock'.

"It will be good to have the fans," Whyte said. "This fight is as big as any world-title fight.

"This place will be jumping; it will be rocking."

Povetkin, who has also only lost twice in his career in the pros, is reading nothing into what happened in the previous meeting, knowing only too well the damage Whyte can do.

"I'm very happy to be in this unusual place. I'm relaxed and confident," he said.

"I think Dillian will be better in this second fight, but at the same time I will try to pay more attention to my defence. Forget the story of the first fight."

The fight with Sweden's Wallin, set to take place at the O2 Arena in London, was the main event on an impressive card with Whyte set to return to action for the first time since beating Alexander Povetkin in March.

However, a shoulder injury sustained in training has forced the postponement of the fight and it remains unclear whether the clash will be rescheduled.

The winner was in line to face the undefeated Tyson Fury for the WBC heavyweight crown in 2022, though Whyte's next bout may still be against the 'Gyspy King' should the meeting with Wallin be called off completely.

The WBC had ruled that the winner of Fury and Deontay Wilder's trilogy fight would have 30 days to agree on a bout with IBF, WBA and WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk, or face the reigning interim champion - the winner of Whyte versus Wallin.

However, Anthony Joshua has triggered a rematch clause to ensure he fights Usyk again in 2022, opening the door for Whyte or Wallin to step up.

Should Whyte be required to challenge Wallin in a rearranged clash, defeat will once again throw a spanner in the works for the Briton, despite him currently ranking as the WBC's interim challenger.

Whyte has encountered similar problems before while waiting for a world title shot, having been knocked out by Povetkin in 2020 before recovering in the rematch between the pair.

Whyte's hopes of landing a mandatory shot at the WBC championship were halted following his shock defeat against Povetkin in Saturday's stunning heavyweight bout.

After dominating the opening four rounds and downing Povetkin twice in the fourth, WBC contender Whyte was sensationally knocked out with a massive uppercut in the fifth.

With his plans for a mandatory fight against the champion on hold, British boxer Whyte (27-2) told promoter Eddie Hearn via Matchroom Boxing's Instagram: "Can we get the rematch in December?

"Okay cool. I'm good, I'm good, it's one of them things where he just landed. I was bossing it.

"It is what it is. Rematch, it's all good. That's what heavyweight boxing is about."

A stunned Hearn said Whyte will exercise his rematch clause with Povetkin, adding: "I can't quite believe it. When the punch landed, I felt like I was in some dream.

"The fight was over, virtually, Povetkin hadn't started well, I thought Dillian Whyte was measuring up. He had a great finish to the round when he knocked Povetkin down.

"I felt that it was over, but this is the drama of the sport, this is the drama of heavyweight boxing. One punch can change everything.

"I'm pretty much lost for words, if I'm honest with you. We have a rematch clause. The first thing Dillian said was 'Get me that rematch, get me that rematch.

"Povetkin is mandatory now, but the only person who would get called to negotiate fighting the winner of Fury-Wilder was Dillian Whyte.

"We'll exercise that rematch clause. We'll look to make that before the end of the year and it's a huge fight."

It was a memorable evening for former WBA heavyweight champion and Russian opponent Povetkin (36-2-1), who said: "I didn't feel I would finish the fight like this. I went down twice but it was OK, not too much damage.

"I was watching his fights and I was thinking he was missing uppercuts from left and the right, so I was training for it. It's probably one of my best ever punches."

Fury puts his belt on the line against Whyte at Wembley Stadium on April 23, while Joshua is slated for a rematch against Oleksandr Usyk, who holds the WBA Super, WBO and IBF straps.

Speaking to IFL TV, Joshua said he was rooting for long-time rival Whyte when he dons the gloves against Fury in a huge domestic showdown.

"It's a good opponent [for Fury], it's a good [title] defence against Dillian Whyte," Joshua said.

"Dillian Whyte needs to come in, look at what Tyson Fury does and reacts to, and do the complete opposite. Maybe work the body, and be conditioned to go the distance.

"I'm rooting for Dillian, even though I hate him, and I want to smash him one of these days. Go on Dillian, I'm with you all the way."

Replying on his Instagram story, Whyte seemed to be affronted by Joshua's declaration of hatred.

"Why so bitter. Number 1 bulls*** guy. @anthonyjoshua what did I ever do to you man," Whyte posted, before adding good luck to Joshua in the bout against Usyk.

In a seeming bid to defuse any simmering tensions, Joshua replied on his own Instagram story: "Hate is a strong word I respect you champ. I Just want to fight you at some point."

Joshua defeated Whyte with a seventh-round knockout when the two met back in December 2015.

Whyte will be in action on the fourth and final card of Matchroom's 'Fight Camp' schedule next month, with all events staged in the garden of promoter Eddie Hearn's house.

However, the 32-year-old will not have Tibbs working his corner when he takes on Russian Povetkin, revealing they have gone their separate ways in a post on Instagram.

"Just to let everyone know Mark Tibbs and I are no longer working together as boxer and trainer," Whyte – who is the interim WBC champion - wrote to go along with a picture of the pair.

"I'm training in Portugal, Mark has a young family, and his own new gym in the UK. As it stands it just hasn't worked out in the way we both hoped it would. 

"Mark came into my team four years ago and has helped me turn into the world-class fighter I am today.

"Mark is a great trainer and I will always be grateful to him and his dad for all they have done."

Whyte has a 27-1 record, his solitary defeat coming against long-time rival Anthony Joshua in December 2015, though he's won 11 on the spin since that setback.

He is waiting for a shot at the WBC title, as champion Tyson Fury is set to face Deontay Wilder – the man he dethroned thanks to a stoppage win earlier this year – in his next outing.

Whyte is the governing body's interim champion, but it remains unclear exactly when he will get to fight the holder of the belt - if at all. 

Fury is set to face Deontay Wilder next, having dethroned his rival earlier this year with a sensational stoppage win. A third bout between the pair is scheduled to happen, though a date for the trilogy is yet to be confirmed.

The winner of that meeting has been ordered by the WBC to next face Whyte, who goes up against Alexander Povetkin on Saturday as he patiently stands by for his opportunity. 

However, the mandatory challenger is not sure Fury will sign up to face him in 2021. 

"One minute he says he will fight me, the next minute he says he won't," Whyte said during a media conference call.

"Tyson talks a lot of rubbish - he just says whatever he thinks.  

"He's someone who doesn't stick to anything he says, he's always saying something today and then something else tomorrow.  

"His mind is like the wind - it changes direction every few seconds."

Whyte has agreed to take on the dangerous Povetkin in the fourth and final event in Matchroom's Fight Camp series, staged at the promotion's headquarters in Essex. 

The Russian has only lost twice in his career - to Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko – but Whyte is prepared for anything Povetkin throws his way. 

"It's a hard fight - no one can ever say Povetkin is an easy fight. We've seen what he does, he’s been consistent for 15 years at this level. He's beaten top guys," Whyte said. 

"He gave Anthony Joshua a problem a year ago, he gave Wladimir Klitschko a problem a few years ago. He's a very strong, very determined guy, technically sound and carries a good punch.  

"People say he's 40, but guys are going on longer and being stronger and fighting a lot better as they got older these days.

"They are probably looking and me and think I make technical mistakes, and other things, I know they think they can beat me and stop me, so who knows what their game plan is? 

"He might come out and try and go for it early, he might and try and wait and go for it down the stretch. I’m prepared for whatever.  

"If it needs to be a 12-round war or a boxing fight, whatever, or a destruction, I'm prepared for whatever."

Boxing, like most other sports, went on a hiatus earlier this year when the coronavirus pandemic spread across the world.

However, boxing and UFC cards have recently returned in the United States behind closed doors, and Matchroom promoter Hearn had spoken of his ambitious plans to resume boxing in the United Kingdom too in a special ring built in his garden.

Those events have now been finalised and Matchroom's 'Fight Camp' will see boxers brought into a bubble before fighting at Hearn's house in Essex across four nights from August 1 to August 22.

The final night will see Katie Taylor put her undisputed world lightweight titles on the line against an as-yet-unnamed opponent before Whyte and Povetkin meet in a WBC interim heavyweight title fight.

"We've of course got Madison Square Garden, this is Matchroom Square Garden," Hearn told Sky Sports.

"We've been working diligently with the British Boxing Board of Control for the last three months. We're in a position where we know the procedures that have to take place to make the sport safe to return.

"We feel like we've done it at the right time, we feel like everything's safe. We've got a brilliant schedule of fights lined up and we can't wait to bring boxing back to your screens.

“We have no crowd, we don't have the 80,000 singing 'Sweet Caroline' and have the energy of the audience, but what we do have is the beauty of boxing, the rawness of the sport.

“We need to make sure those fights are compelling."

Whyte has long been the WBC mandatory challenger but the holder of that belt, Tyson Fury, is set to face Deontay Wilder for a third time after taking the strap off the American in February.

A path to a future fight with Fury has been further complicated by the title-holder having already agreed two bouts against fellow Briton Anthony Joshua, who has the rest of the division's major belts.

Matchroom announced the heavyweight rematch on Tuesday, with the countdown now on for Whyte as he seeks to put last month's defeat to the Russian behind him.

The Briton was floored by his 40-year-old opponent in the fifth round, having dominated the fight up to that point, with the loss halting his hopes of landing a mandatory shot at the WBC championship.

Venue details for the second showdown between the pair are to be confirmed at a later date, as it is not clear whether fans will be able to attend.

"I'm over the moon to have the rematch," Whyte said in quotes reported by Sky Sports. "As soon as I got out of the ring, I was looking for confirmation that the fight would be on.

"I can't wait to get back in the ring and get back what is rightfully mine.

"I'm looking to do what I said I would the first time, and that's beat Alexander Povetkin."

Povetkin said: "I've rested well, spent time with my family, and now that the date of the rematch is known, I will soon return to my training camp and prepare as thoroughly as I did for the first fight."

Having suffered back-to-back defeats against Oleksandr Usyk to cede his heavyweight belts, Joshua returned to the ring to beat Jermaine Franklin via unanimous decision in London on Saturday.

After winning what was his first non-title fight in 12, Joshua called out WBC heavyweight champion Fury, who recently saw negotiations over an undisputed bout with Usyk fall through.

However, Whyte – who was ringside for Joshua's victory at the O2 Arena – does not believe Fury will accept the fight, and he wants a chance to atone for a 2015 defeat against Joshua.

Asked why he believed a rematch could be on the cards, Whyte told Sky Sports: "It's a logical fight. Fury is not a person to negotiate with, because he'll mess you around.

"If he's being offered unified heavyweight champion [by Usyk] and not taking it, what is Joshua going to offer him to take the fight? Nothing.

"He's obviously seeing Joshua as way beneath him, the fight isn't going to happen. I don't know why they are wasting their time.

"There is someone here who is willing to fight and ready to go, but for some reason Joshua seems to – I don't know if it's a tactic of his – brush it under the carpet."

Joshua had lost three of his previous five fights ahead of his win over Franklin, and Whyte believes his rival has been scarred by those defeats.

"Maybe he just doesn't want to take risks anymore," he said of Joshua. "I don't know if it's money that has made him soft, or if it's the defeats. 

"Getting knocked out and getting outclassed, I think it's more that than money, to be honest."

Hearn intends to hold talks with UFC president Dana White about organising a fight he claims to have received huge demand for.

Whyte, the WBC interim heavyweight champion, made his first and only mixed martial arts appearance in 2008 and scored a knockout in just 12 seconds, while Ngannou has stopped each of his past four UFC opponents in the first round – three of the past four inside 45 seconds.

After Ngannou suggested he wanted to test himself against one of boxing's top heavyweights, Whyte said: "Don't talk about it, let's just do it."

Having initially been sceptical about the idea, Hearn revealed the bout is on the cards for this year.

"I never really thought we would take this too seriously, but in the last week we have to take this seriously," Hearn told Sky Sports.

"The aim for Dillian Whyte is to become a world boxing champion, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Dillian Whyte against Ngannou towards the end of this year.

"Obviously we know [Alexander] Povetkin is next, but whether it's October, November, December.

"I'm going to be reaching out to Dana White and saying: 'Tell me how this works? Can we actually do this? Are we doing it in a ring? Are we doing it in a cage? Are we doing one round of each?'.

"It's really got a lot of momentum and a lot of promise. I think there's a really good chance it could happen."

Hearn said Whyte and Ngannou would display "brutality at its absolute rawest" and provide a greater spectacle than the previous crossover fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Conor McGregor in 2017.

"There's not just interest online, there is huge interest everywhere for that fight," said Hearn.

"When I first started discussing it, it was just something that had been mentioned. Fans of both disciplines have always said: 'Whyte against Ngannou is a cracker'.

"I've started to receive a lot of interest from numerous people about staging that fight now. I think it does colossal numbers.

"It's the first real, genuine crossover fight. I know we had Floyd and we had Conor, but this is a different kind of fight. This is a different kind of experience. This is brutality at its absolute rawest.

"This fight does huge numbers. It's got the boxing fans, it's got the MMA fans, it's got the intrigue. It's got everything."

Povetkin knocked out Whyte in the fifth round of their WBC interim title bout last August and the pair were originally set to meet again in late November at Wembley Arena.

However, the fight was postponed after the Russian was admitted to hospital with COVID-19.

Promoters Matchroom Boxing has announced a new date has now been set, with the rematch now scheduled for around seven weeks' time.

The card will take place behind closed doors at a venue that has yet to be confirmed.

After being laid low by coronavirus last year, Povetkin recently stepped up his training regime as he looks to retain the WBC interim heavyweight title with another victory over Whyte.

World of Boxing Promotions Company, who represent the 41-year-old, posted on Twitter on Friday: "Alexander has fully recovered and started his training camp on January 12. 

"He is progressing well in the first stage of his preparation. We hope the second fight will live up to everyone's expectations and that Povetkin will deliver another spectacular finish."

The winner of the rematch will be in line to face either Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua later in 2021 for the heavyweight world title.

Meanwhile, it was also confirmed on Friday that Josh Warrington, who has not been in action since October 2019, will defend his IBF featherweight belt against Mauricio Lara on February 13.

The undefeated Fury will put his WBC belt on the line in a heavyweight bout on April 23 after mandatory challenger Whyte knocked out Alexander Povetkin to earn a shot against his fellow Briton.

Fury has already suggested he will retire after the clash with Whyte, who did not attend the first media conference to preview the fight before breaking his social media silence last week on Instagram.

But Whyte finally ended his media hiatus to discuss the showdown as he promised a two-way battle, as opposed to the "one-way traffic" he feels that has wrongfully been portrayed.

"This is a business," he told reporters. "It's not the Tyson Fury show. Everybody saying 'Tyson Fury this, Tyson Fury that'.

"This fight sold out because of me and Tyson Fury, Tyson Fury fought Wilder, he's a big superstar.

"It's not just the Tyson Fury show, it's the Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte show, so some things need to be done correctly.

"I don't dance to nobody's tune. I'm a warrior. We can dance together, but it can't be one-way traffic.

"I'm a disciplined guy and I've learned to be disciplined over the years. Okay, you want me to do things? That's cool, I'm up for that, I'm a professional. I've had six or seven pay-per-view shows and worked hard on all of them and looked after my opponents and dealt with them correctly.

"When these guys are trying to mug me off and treat me like it's the Tyson Fury show, they've got to get certain things correct. I'm a professional at the end of the day, so here I am. I'm here and ready."

Whyte has previously expressed disappointment with his share of the purse, with Fury pocketing £24million to the former's £6m.

While the challenger was left frustrated with the finances behind the fight, he referenced previous failures to agree a bout with Fury as a reason for his earlier refusals to speak to the media.

"You make an agreement to get the ball rolling, but there are still underlying issues that need securing and sorting out, and then when people are trying to play games and messing around then you've got to control what you can control," he added.

"What I could control is my actions, not what Fury does. So that's what I did."

Frustrations aside, Whyte insists it would be the pinnacle if he could become the champion of the world in front of a packed crowd at Wembley, where 94,000 are expected to attend.

"I'm a guy that as a kid, no future, no education, no family, I'm a survivor," he said.

"I've been on the streets since I was a child. For somebody like me that's come from nothing, I've come from no sporting background, no backing, no support, I didn't even do sports at school.

"For somebody like me to come from where I've come from, and to be heavyweight champion of the world is true inspiration.

"That's somebody that's come from a boxing family. I was a thug on the street that could knock people out. I'm under no illusion, I know what I am, I know what I bring."

In a fight that Whyte had dominated for the opening four rounds, the Briton, who would have been entitled to a fight with Tyson Fury had he defeated Povetkin, was downed in the fifth by a stunning uppercut from the 40-year-old Russian.

Povetkin had been downed twice in the fourth round after Whyte's fast start at 'Fight Camp', yet the latter was ultimately no match for Povetkin's power.

And with Anthony Joshua – who had publicly doubted his compatriot before the fight – watching on as a pundit, Whyte was left to congratulate Povetkin as his hopes of a title bout faded.

Having lost almost one-and-a-half stone since his previous fight, Whyte looked sharp in the opening exchanges, landing some swift early jabs, though Povetkin responded with blows to the body.

Povetkin could not prevent Whyte landing more sharp shots to his frame in the second, and the Russian's legs dipped in the third when he was clubbed with two hefty hooks.

Whyte refused to let up the pressure and had Povetkin downed with a brilliant punch early in round four, yet the veteran fighter was quickly back to his feet.

The assault continued and Povetkin was dropped again in the closing stages of the same round by a venomous left-hand uppercut.

Yet, in a stunning turnaround, the fight was ended by one huge Povetkin punch moments into the fifth.

The 16-stone former WBA heavyweight champion landed a brilliant uppercut with his left, clubbing Whyte to the floor.

Whyte recovered quickly, but the damage was done as Povetkin celebrated a remarkable triumph.

Ahead of the MGM Grand clash, promoters for both boxers have backed a decision to call off the familiar confrontation, amid concerns it could turn nasty.

A news conference on Wednesday descended into rancour as Wilder and Fury shoved each other before being separated.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), which regulates fights in Las Vegas, decided that moment was a clear sign Wilder and Fury should not risk further altercations before getting into the ring.

Speaking to ESPN, NSAC executive director Bob Bennett said: "The reason the decision was made, on behalf of the commission, is because the press conference spoke for itself.

"The actions of the two fighters pushing each other, which was not staged, is not indicative of the image of our sport as a major league sport, thus having a face-off is not in the best interest in the health and safety of the fighters, the public and the event.

"And, quite frankly, that image, where you have two professional athletes pushing each other where somebody could get hurt, is not keeping with the image of a major league sport and we're a major league sport."

Bennett said he told promoters Tom Brown and Bob Arum of the decision and neither man opposed the move.

Arum told ESPN: "If this fight depends on a face-off to sell it, we have not done our job."

However, Frank Warren, who co-promotes Fury with Arum, told metro.co.uk: "It's a stupid decision, the face-off is traditional."

The fight is a rematch after a thrilling draw in December 2018, with Wilder's WBC belt on the line.

Wilder will defend his WBC heavyweight title in an eagerly awaited rematch with Fury in Las Vegas, following on from their controversial draw in December 2018.

Ward, who retired in 2017 with an undefeated record, said Wilder and Fury had only become better since their previous bout.

"In my days of following the sport I have several memories of big heavyweight fights, but I don't know if I can remember a heavyweight fight with fighters in their prime, at this stage in their career," he told Omnisport.

"I do believe that Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury are in their absolute prime, their absolute peak and even since the first fight, both fighters have bolstered their reputations, they're more popular than they've ever been. I feel like both guys are more dangerous than they've ever been.

"There's just a lot riding on this and you can feel it in the air in Las Vegas that neither fighter can afford to lose and I think both fighters are going to do whatever they have to do to get their hand raised Saturday."

Both Wilder and Fury claim they should have been victorious in Los Angeles nearly 15 months ago, with the former twice knocking down the Brit.

Ward, who beat Sergey Kovalev twice at the end of his career, said the adjustments Fury was looking to make could mean a shorter fight.

"Rematches are all about taking away some adjustments, like what was your takeaway from the first fight and you have to be honest with yourself, even if you don't share with anybody else," he said.

"You've got to be honest about where you got hit, why you got hit, if the guy was strong, if his punch was a lot heavier than you thought. That way you can make the adjustment then you take the takeaway, make the adjustment and then obviously come fight night the hard work is about executing.

"I think Deontay Wilder has definitely worked on a few things, I hear him talking about being more patient, I've heard word out of his camp that he's trying to work on his jab and how to disguise and hide his power a little bit more. I think those are great adjustments. You don't need major adjustments in rematches, you just need the right ones.

"Tyson Fury, on the other hand, he's talking about making polarising adjustments. He doesn't want to box nearly as much as he did the first time, he's talking about coming in bulkier, coming in heavier, 14 and a half pounds north of what he came in the first fight.

"That tells us that he wants to toe the line and attack and fight Deontay Wilder and if he does that it's going to be a short night for either guy, I just don't know which one it's going to be."

The WBC champion defended his belt and maintained his unbeaten record (31-0-1) with a devastating 11th-round knockout of Wilder (42-2-1) in a classic slugfest.

The American left the ring soon after the fight was over and, according to Fury, refused to show any respect before departing.

"I'm a sportsman; I went over to show some love and respect and he didn't want to show it back," Fury said. "I'll pray for him so God will soften his heart."

"I said, 'Well done'. And he said, 'I don't wanna show any sportsmanship or respect.' I said, 'No problem'."

"Very surprised [by] that," Fury added. "Sore loser, an idiot. Do you know what? To be a top fighting man, you've got to show guts and respect and he couldn't do it tonight. And that's it."

However, Wilder appears to have had a change of heart, using a post on his official Instagram account to congratulate his opponent after an epic trilogy came to an end.

"Wow, what a hell of a night! I would like to first and foremost thank God for allowing me to give the world another part of me that's driven with passion and determination," Wilder wrote.

"I would like to thank my team and my fans for sticking by my side through this long process. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't disappointed in the outcome but after reflecting on my journey, I now see that what God wanted me to experience is far greater than what I expected to happen.

"We didn't get the win but a wise man once said the victories are within the lessons. I've learned that sometimes you have to lose to win. Although, I wanted the win I enjoyed seeing the fans win even more.

"Hopefully, I proved that I am a true Warrior and a true King in this sport. Hopefully, WE proved that no matter how hard you get hit with trials and tribulations you can always pick yourself up to live and fight again for what you believe in.

"Last but not least I would like to congratulate [Tyson Fury] for his victory and thank you for the great historical memories that will last forever."

A third Wilder-Fury clash has been touted after the latter stripped the American of the WBC title in February's rematch at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas following a draw in the first fight in 2018.

Wilder (41-1-1) has the right to a third bout against British star Fury (30-0-1) but, although December 19 was suggested as a possible date, nothing has been finalised amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Fury announced in October that he had ended his interest in another rematch, while Wilder's co-manager denied claims his fighter no longer had a contractual clause for the bout, which would leave the former free to face Anthony Joshua instead.

A deal for two 2021 fights between Fury and Joshua, who regained the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight world titles by beating Andy Ruiz in a rematch last December, was agreed in principle in June.

Wilder called out Fury via social media on Saturday, writing on Twitter: "Fury Be A Man. @Tyson_Fury it is time for you to be a man and honour your agreement. What is this bull**** of you fighting Carlos Takam instead of me, you got to be kidding…

"When that fight was a draw, I told you that I would give you a rematch. You know I was offered more money to fight Joshua than I was getting to fight you. Again being a man of my word, I fought you like I said I would…

"In the rematch agreement, there was a rematch clause. Now it is time for you to be a man and honour your word, instead of trying to weasel out of our agreement. Scared people run by a scary man will break his contract you coward Azz b****!"

Fury produced a seven-round demolition via TKO against Wilder, who suffered his first loss.

In the accompanying video, Wilder added: "I saw in the first fight when Ricky Hatton was pulling down your gloves to put your fists in the improper position. Y'all tried the same method the second time, but this time, you scratched flesh out of my ears which caused my ears to bleed.

"It's impossible for a brand-new 10-ounce glove to bend, to keep a smushed-in form or to have loose space. I highly believe you put something hard in your glove. Something the size and the shape of an egg weight.

"It's the reason the side of my face swelled up in the egg weight form and it left a dent in my face as well.

"But in the midst of all, you still couldn't keep this king down. You would have had to kill me. In the end, it took a crap-in-a-bucket referee and a disloyal trainer to throw the towel in just to stop me."

Wilder is the only fighter to avoid defeat against Fury in the 34-year-old's professional career, doing so in a draw in December 2018.

However, the 'Bronze Bomber' then suffered two defeats to Fury – the most recent an 11th-round stoppage in October 2021 – and he still hopes for a chance to avenge those losses.

"I think that there's definitely a chance of a fourth fight again," Wilder told Sky Sports. "Boxing is a business. Many people call it a sport, but it's not a sport.

"The heavyweight division is very small. I'm still a big fish in the business, especially here in America. 

"As long as we're all in the same division and all still currently fighting, why not? It only can lead to that. With all that being said, it's definitely a possibility."

Wilder, who has not fought since that second defeat to Fury, will meet Robert Helenius in an eliminator next month and may yet face further bouts in his bid to return to title contention.

However, Oleksandr Usyk, who won and then retained the WBO, WBA and IBF belts with two victories over Anthony Joshua, has floated the idea of offering Wilder a championship fight – a proposition the 36-year-old would welcome.

"I heard about the Usyk situation, and he's going to be there. I hold Usyk to be a man of his word," Wilder said.

"If Usyk's saying he wants to give me an opportunity for the titles then that's what I'm holding his word to. I always tell people that I don't look past fighters, but I do look through them, there's nothing wrong with that, being confident in yourself and looking ahead once this chapter is closed.

"I've got to handle business at the end of the day. Without handling business then nothing else is moving forward. I'm taking it one fight at a time. I'm taking it all in, one day at a time. 

"Once I've accomplished and finished what I have to do with Robert, then I'll move on, and I'll be looking forward to the next challenge, whether it's Usyk or whether it's anybody else."

Meanwhile, Fury appeared set to face Joshua in December after reversing his decision to retire, although he has since claimed the fight was off after weeks of back-and-forth discussions.

Despite Joshua losing three of his last five fights, Wilder believes he can rectify issues with his fighting style, adding: "I just think Joshua was very cautious in what he did as far as exchanging punches [against Usyk]. I always said it: as I see it, he has a big stamina problem.

"I think if he can correct that, I think you will see a different Joshua. You won't see one that's so hesitant to throw punches and do things.

"I think he was just a little fearful of running out of gas too quick and too fast, and he held back a little bit."

WBC champion Wilder and Fury fought out a controversial draw at Staples Center in December 2018, with the latter knocked down twice and somehow getting up from the canvas in a dramatic 12th round.

The pair will renew their rivalry in Las Vegas on Saturday and Hagler – the former undisputed middleweight champion – hopes it proves to be a significant step towards the American meeting IBF, WBA and WBO king Joshua in the ring.

"It's great to see the heavyweights come back into the picture again, because they've been out of focus for a long time," Hagler told Omnisport ahead of the Laureus World Sports Awards.

"Guys like Tyson Fury bring a lot of excitement; he's a character. And Wilder is a type of person who's unpredictable – you really don't know what kind of style he's going to come into the fight with.

"I don't think he's going to fight Fury the same way as the first time. I believe this time too that he's going to make sure that if he gets him down, he's not going to be able to get up.

"I'm looking forward to the fight. It's an unpredictable fight because you don't know what game plan they're going to have going into this fight.

"I can't predict anybody, but I'd like to see Wilder get a shot at it because I'd like to see him and Anthony Joshua, because that fight is way overdue.

"I don't think now it's about money, it's a personal thing between the two of them: who wants to be champion of the world?"

Speaking about the Laureus World Sports Awards, Hagler added: "I think this is our 18th year that we've been here. It's a great thing to see Laureus with the 20th anniversary this year, everyone's excited about that.

"I can't believe I've been here 18 years, just with all the other great celebrities in the sports world, getting to know them and getting to see that everything we do is volunteering, so it's a great feeling when you're able to give something back and that's what all of us are doing."

Fourteen months on from their drawn first meeting, Wilder was on the receiving end of a heavy beating in Las Vegas as he lost his unbeaten record and WBC heavyweight title to a dominant opponent.

However, although Fury bossed the fight, twice sending his bloodied opponent to the canvas, both Wilder and Deas felt the 'Bronze Bomber' should have been afforded an opportunity to go out on his shield.

Co-trainer Mark Breland threw in the towel during round seven, a decision that was questioned by Deas in a post-fight news conference that Wilder missed in order to go to hospital for treatment on his injured ear.

"[Wilder] had a small cut inside the ear, [it] may have affected his equilibrium, so he's just going to get a couple of stitches there," explained Deas.

Discussing the fight's ending, Deas added: "I'm the head coach of the team but we do things a little bit differently - 99 per cent of the time the head coach of the team is the guy that's also the lead in the corner. Ours is a little bit more like a football team, American football, where the head coach doesn't necessarily call the plays.

"Ours is a little bit like that, so what happened during the round was Mark [Breland] said something about throwing the towel in and I told him 'don't do that', I didn't think he should do that.

"Then the fight went a little bit longer and then I saw the towel go in. I haven't talked to Mark about it but we'll talk about it, figure out exactly what went on there."

Wilder, who hinted he had been hampered by an injury in the lead-up to the contest, expressed his unhappiness in the ring, stating: "I make no excuses tonight. I just wish my corner would have let me go out on my shield - I'm a warrior and that's what I do."

The nature of Wilder's loss has led to questions over whether he will activate a clause to fight Fury for a third time, but Deas is convinced the bout will take place.

"I think so, absolutely," added the trainer. "Knowing him like I do, he will want the rematch.

"These guys have put on two tremendous fights. The public will want it. We'll want it, they'll want it. It seems natural. I think it's what you'll see happen."