Deontay Wilder believes that Tyson Fury put "some kind of gypsy spell" on him, according to Fury, who denies the allegation.
The British heavyweight has had two remarkable fights against America's 'Bronze Bomber', with Fury rising from the canvas to earn a draw in 2018 before dominating and stopping Wilder in their rematch.
Fury goes into fascinating detail on the physical and mental preparation he put into that second fight in his new book, The Furious Method, including how a bold pre-fight prediction made Wilder question himself.
"When Joe Rogan interviewed Wilder on his podcast after our first fight, Wilder said he thought I'd put some kind of gypsy spell on him," explains Fury. "As far as I know I don't possess much in the way of spells (though my Irish grandmother was a fortune teller)."
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"What's clear is that I had got into his head and shook his self-confidence by repeatedly telling him I was going to drop him in the second round.
"I planted that seed in his mind and uttered it so frequently in the run-up to the fight he got spooked and started believing it himself."
Fury emphasises how his winning the pre-fight psychological battle in the lead-up to the contest left Wilder deeply uneasy, claiming: "I'm the master of mind games and I've already burrowed deep into his head."
Spell or no spell, the 'Gypsy King' realised that Wilder wasn't right before a punch was thrown in their 2020 rematch, following his bizarre ring entrance in an elaborate $40,000 costume.
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"Wilder seems stiff, even tense behind the mask," says Fury, putting himself back in that moment.
"Andy Lee, my cousin and number two coach, was in his dressing room earlier to check that his wraps were correctly applied... Andy said it was tense and quiet in there, as opposed to the positive vibes in my room. Apparently, you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife."
Clearly being battered for seven one-sided rounds hasn't done Wilder's state of mind any favours, judging by the list of excuses he's come up with since. They range from his ring-walk outfit being too heavy, to conspiracy theories about Fury's gloves being loaded, to a belief his own water was "spiked".
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It's left some people genuinely concerned for Wilder's mental wellbeing. But perhaps being psychologically worked over by Fury pre-fight was as traumatic as the physical beating.
Fury is a master of mind games, even getting under the skin of the usually ice-cool Wladimir Klitschko before he upset the Ukrainian in Germany in 2015.
Years of struggle followed that massive high for Fury, as he ballooned in weight and battled his own mental demons, including bipolar disorder and depression.
Ironically, it was Wilder's post on Instagram that helped motivate Fury when he began considering a return to the ring in 2018.
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"I was actually too fat to run (28 stone) so I walked," explains Fury in his book. "And while looking at Instagram on my phone I saw Deontay Wilder's post: a picture of me, extremely obese and bent right out of shape, white as a sheet. It read: 'Even if I had fought him in his prime I would have knocked him out. He's finished and he'll never come back.'
"That was the spur I needed."
So it seems that by stoking Fury's fire, Wilder may have - in fact - put a gypsy spell on his own head.
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As the chances of a third fight with Wilder recede, boxing fans are already salivating over the prospect of a Fury vs Anthony Joshua clash in 2021 - where no doubt the 'Gypsy King' will be testing AJ's mental cool before they swap punches in the ring. Spells or no spells.
The Furious Method: Transform Your Mind, Body & Goals (Century) by Tyson Fury is out now
Topics: Tyson Fury, Boxing News, Boxing, Fight News, Deontay Wilder
