Deontay Wilder has revealed he suffered a broken hand in the build-up to his first meeting with Tyson Fury.
The two heavyweights fought out a controversial split decision draw in Los Angeles in December 2018 - with Fury rising from the canvas in the 12th round after being floored with a brutal right-left combo.
Ahead of their hugely anticipated rematch in Las Vegas on February 22, the reigning WBC champion now says he was carrying a serious injury into that fight that left him unable to throw his right hand in final sparring sessions.
"In the first Fury fight I broke my hand," Wilder told BT’s Training Day episodes ahead of the fight on BT Sport Box Office.
"I only had one hand. The right hand was very off. In camp, I didn't want to throw it to injure it even more. I felt like if I reserved and threw it in the fight and broke it in the fight then I'm getting paid."
Fury stunned the boxing world when he climbed off the mat late on last time out against Wilder with the American promising there will be no repeat.
"I told him before I would baptise him. Anyone who knows anything about a baptism, you get lifted back up. I'll lift you back up, out of the waters. But this time around, its a totally different story, he will not get up this time around."
The full Training Day episodes with Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury are available on BT Sport Boxing's YouTube channel from Tuesday evening.
Watch Wilder v Fury II, exclusively live on BT Sport Box Office, February 22.
