Tyson Fury has publicly retracted a pointed social media jibe aimed at long-time rival Deontay Wilder, choosing a path of prayer over continued public confrontation. This development comes amid renewed accusations from Wilder that Fury cheated during their historic heavyweight trilogy, allegations the British boxer has consistently denied.
The Backstory of Accusations and Retaliation
As both fighters prepare for separate bouts in April, the old wounds of their rivalry have reopened. Wilder, who faces Derek Chisora in London on 4 April, has reiterated past claims that Fury's victories were tainted. Following Wilder's renewed "cheat" narrative this week, Fury initially responded on Instagram by posting a video of his 2021 knockout of the American, captioned: "The cheat was clear to see, big right hook was all it took."
A Sudden Change of Heart
However, in a striking reversal just hours later, Fury deleted the post and shared a new Instagram story. Speaking directly to camera, the 37-year-old explained his change of approach. "I'm just sat here, thinking about all the stuff that Deontay Wilder's been saying recently, and even me, I got sort of dragged into posting stuff," Fury admitted. "I've just deleted that, I took it off my story, because rather than retaliate and hate on somebody [and] rather than just go back and forward with him, saying he's deluded and all that, I'm just gonna pray for him."
Fury elaborated on his spiritual perspective, stating: "I'm gonna ask God to help him. He obviously needs the help, and I'm not getting involved in pettiness. The fights were won fair and square, and that's it. I'm gonna pray for him, and I'm gonna ask the Father to bring him back to the light, because this man is lost. Lost soul, and I beg Jesus to return him to the Kingdom."
Historical Context of the Rivalry
The Fury-Wilder saga represents one of modern boxing's most compelling narratives. Their first encounter in 2018 ended in a controversial draw that many observers believed Fury deserved to win. The Briton then stopped Wilder in both 2020 and 2021, with Wilder subsequently claiming his first defeat resulted from spiked water, an excessively heavy ring-walk outfit, and tampered gloves.
Those losses marked the beginning of a difficult period for Wilder's career. Although he rebounded with a stoppage of Robert Helenius in 2022, he suffered consecutive defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang over the following two years. Zhang knocked out Wilder in 2024, and the American's only fight since was a seventh-round stoppage of Tyrrell Anthony Herndon last June.
An Unexpected Olive Branch
Despite the heated history, Fury extended an unexpected invitation to his rival. "I hear he's a brother in Christ these days, and any brother in Christ is always welcome to come and train at mine," Fury said. "If he needs to get away, if needs to do some training, my door's always open – even if the man don't like me or whatever. Door's always open there for you. We shared some great fights over the years."
Fury acknowledged the financial dimension of their rivalry, noting: "Although this man probably doesn't like me for whatever reason – I don't know why, because I made him a hell of a lot of money, tens of millions – tough times can make people say and do crazy things."
Looking Ahead to April Comebacks
Both fighters face crucial tests next month as they attempt to resurrect their careers following recent setbacks. Wilder aims to build momentum against Chisora at London's O2 Arena, while Fury emerges from his fifth retirement to face Arslanbek Makhmudov at an undisclosed UK venue just seven days later.
For Fury, the Makhmudov fight represents an opportunity to recover from the first two losses of his professional career – a pair of defeats by Oleksandr Usyk in 2024 that temporarily halted his dominance of the heavyweight division.
The public reconciliation attempt marks a significant tonal shift in one of boxing's most bitter modern rivalries, suggesting that even the most heated conflicts can evolve toward unexpected resolution.
