Deontay Wilder advised to fight Andy Ruiz Jr rather than Tyson Fury in summer trilogy bout
Deontay Wilder will likely face Tyson Fury again on July 18 in Las Vegas.
Tyson Fury ‘feigned injury’ ahead of Wilder fight says Andy Lee
Deontay Wilder should fight someone like Andy Ruiz Jr next, rather than jump into a trilogy fight with Tyson Fury, according to the Gypsy King’s trainer Andy Lee. Wilder was stopped in the seventh round of his WBC heavyweight world title fight with Fury last month.
Wilder came out with a slew of excuses following the fight, including one about his 45lb ring-walk costume being too heavy.
Soon after that, Fury’s promoter Bob Arum revealed that Wilder had officially activated his rematch clause and that a bout would likely occur on July 18 in Vegas.
But Lee believes that Wilder is jumping back into the picture too quickly, considering the way he was dominated by Fury.
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Lee, who worked at the corner for Fury under head trainer SugarHill Steward, thinks Wilder should fight promotional stablemate and former unified world titleholder Ruiz Jr next.
"I am surprised him and his advisers have taken [the Fury rematch]," Lee told Boxing Social.
“I’m sure his ego wants that fight.
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“I think there should be someone saying 'let’s fight Ruiz or somebody else and come back and fight Tyson again. Let him build a little bit more'.
"But a champion wants to get it back straight away and he’s got that champion mind-set.
“He has made excuses but who knows what was really going on when he was training for the fight.
“Maybe it will be a better performance, but I just can’t see how he’s going to change that.
“Tyson’s only going to get better at what he’s doing."
Ruiz Jr, however, is not expected to return to the ring until August.
The Mexican is said to be lining up a fight with the winner of Adam Kownacki vs Robert Helenius, which takes place this weekend in Brooklyn, New York.
Kownacki would be a credible challenge for Ruiz Jr, who has already expressed his desire at getting back into the world title picture right away, following his loss to Anthony Joshua in December.
Joshua has his own fight coming up against Kubrat Pulev at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20.
The two were supposed to fight back in 2017 but Pulev pulled out days before the bout with a shoulder injury.