‘Deontay Wilder surprised me’… Murat Gassiev on what shocked him about sparring the icon and why he wants to fight Tyson Fury

EXCLUSIVE: Murat Gassiev has given a fascinating insight into what happened during his time sparring Deontay Wilder, and why he’s now setting his sights on a showdown with Tyson Fury.

On December 12, the powerhouse reminded the world that he’s still one of the most dangerous boxers on the planet, rendering Kubrat Pulev unconscious to win the WBA regular heavyweight world title at IBA Pro Fight Night 13, inside the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium in the UAE.

Murat Gassiev was shocked by how nice Deontay Wilder was

When Murat Gassiev travelled to the US to spar with Deontay Wilder in a clash which pitted two of the heaviest hitters on the planet against one another, he was taken aback by how friendly ‘The Bronze Bomber’ was.

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, he reminisced: “I sparred with Deontay seven years ago. I went to his hometown to his gym. He has a good team. He surprised me because when I saw him for the first time, he was a very good person, respectful, quiet. We sparred for two weeks. We had five or six spars. It was a good experience. He has good power in his right hand. The fight vs Derek Chisora is perfect. It’s a very interesting fight, I’d love to watch.”

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Murat Gassiev calls for showdown with Tyson Fury

Having proven he still very much has what it takes to dine at the top table of the heavyweight division, Gassiev is ready to take on absolutely anyone, from Moses Itauma, who shares the ring with Jermaine Franklin this weekend, to Tyson Fury.

Should ‘The Gypsy King’ emerge from his bout with Arslanbek Makhmudov unscathed, then his rival will be ready and waiting to battle it out with him inside the squared circle.

Gassiev enthused: “We have different styles, but I would love to fight with him in the UK or anywhere, because he’s my favourite heavyweight fighter.”

Featured Image Credit: IBA/Getty