“So, I always keep that in mind. That’s where the spirit of me not being able to stop talking about boxing comes from. I remember I used to watch Emanuel and Lennox (Lewis). They’d be done training at four, and him and Emanuel would talk from 4 to at least 5:30 just talking about sparring, talking about fights, comparing styles. And I took that ever since Manny told me that, and I always said I would implement that when I became a trainer, and it just so happens I’m Deontay’s trainer, and I’m really going overboard with the dialogue of boxing.
“That’s why I believe he’s adapted because when he was training with Mark (Breland), once they were done training in the gym, boxing was over. The minute I took on the job, I said that’s a problem. This is a lifestyle.”
Scott, who was a longtime assistant in Wilder’s camp, was promoted to head trainer for the third Fury fight after Wilder fired co-trainer Breland and demoted co-trainer Jay Deas to an assistant position.
Scott has built his training philosophy from what he learned from Steward, whom he got to know well when he spent time in then-heavyweight champion Lewis’ training camps.
“When I was training with Lennox, Manny would just pop up at my hotel room and say, ‘what’s going on with you, what fights you been looking at? I want you to look at this because I want you to try this with Lennox tomorrow (in sparring). He’s bigger and stronger and much more experienced, and he’s gonna hurt you, but I need you to try these certain things,'” Scott said. “And we would just talk about boxing. Lennox used to really show me tough, tough love in that ring. Manny talked boxing all the time. He did it with me; he did it with Johnathon Banks.”
Once Wilder’s hand is healed, and he’s had a vacation and enjoyed the holidays, Scott said he expects they will return to camp soon after the new year.
“We should be back in camp, in my opinion, no later than March and fight in May. Or we may be back in camp before March. It all depends on how he recovers, how he’s feeling, how everything’s going,” Scott said.
While Wilder’s return fight likely won’t be for a world title, Scott said he expects it to be against a solid opponent.
“With Deontay, obviously, the first fight back is not going to be at the level that he just left. We have to do things the right way,” Scott said. “But at the same time, we can’t go much lower than that because he’s a high entertainment revenue fighter. He’s big-time boxing. We have to give him a threat because Deontay gets up for threats.
“Obviously, it won’t be a Fury level, but it won’t be somebody down in the bucket. We’re not going to get somebody with a record of 27-11. That’s not happening. It has to be a name that fans have heard of.”
Deontay Wilder is affiliated with Premier Boxing Champions, which has several heavyweights in its stable, including former titleholders Andy Ruiz and Charles Martin, among others.
“I will have a huge say so in the next opponent,” Scott said. “When I say I will have a huge say so I mean me and Deontay will converse about it, me and (manager) Shelly (Finkel), because we’re coming off a very, very tough fight with Fury, so the next one I want it to be a threat, but I want it to be a suitable threat. I want it to be someone that keeps him alert, that keeps him on point. Deontay can’t wait to continue to learn, and that means the world to me because he’s extremely receptive.
“He respects me to the utmost. He loves me. When we’re in the gym, it’s brotherhood, but it’s f—— work. I’m not taking no s— and he has no problem with me not taking no s—.”
Scott said the one area he wants to see Wilder improve on is defense.
“We were very irresponsible defensively,” Scott said of Fury III. “We just have to continue to drill defensively. Were we working on defense in camp? Tons. Is that going show in the first fight (together)? Absolutely not. Could he have been more defensively responsible? Hell yeah, and I can’t wait to get on his case in camp about it. There’s a lot to work on, and he’s receptive to it.”
TYSON FURY vs. DEONTAY WILDER III
Putting his trainer hat aside for a moment, Scott said he has watched Fury-Wilder III back and loved it.
“It was so good. It was such a good fight,” Scott said. “Deontay would be out on his feet, and I knew we had clipped Fury. Then Fury would come back, and then he would knock Fury down, and Fury would get up. There were certain shots Fury was hitting Deontay with that he was on fumes. He caught Deontay with a shot one time from the blindside, and Deontay took that shot and continued to fight.
“Fury continued to come forward. I’ve never seen a gutsy balls trilogy at that level in the heavyweight division. That was a real battle of the giants. Before the fight, I called Fury a very, very good fighter. After the fight, I gave him his credit and called him a great fighter because he beat a great fighter.”
Scott was glad to see that after Wilder initially refused to congratulate
Fury for winning in the ring right after the fight, he came around and posted his congratulations to Fury on social media. Scott also said there won’t be any excuses or accusations toward Fury like Wilder made following a knockout loss in their February 2020 rematch.
“Deontay made no excuses. Fury won, and life goes on. That’s just how it was,” Scott said of fight No. 3. “He had no excuses.
“The whole conversation is on to the next, life goes on. One or two fights, and we’re right back in position and let’s get to work. That’s Deontay’s mentality.”
