Deontay Wilder / Tyson Fury – Walt Harris
All 13 of ‘The Big Ticket’ Walt Harris’ career victories have come inside the distance by way of strikes and that may be partly thanks to the fact that over the years he’s been able to train with two of boxing’s best heavyweight stars.
Harris comes from the same area in Alabama as WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and that led to the two training together.
“When I started training with Deontay I got a chance to work with Mark Breland, one of his coaches who’s a legend in amateur boxing and Olympic boxing, so he kind of showed me how to settle in and how to be patient and relaxed,” Harris told MMA Fighting. “And when you relaxed you see things a lot better and a lot clearer, so I kind of carried that over to the MMA and I try to utilize that.”
Harris also claimed that even with 20 ounce gloves on, Wilder still hit harder than anyone he’s faced in the UFC so far.
However, Harris hasn’t rested on his laurels and has also flown out to the UK to train with another boxing star, Tyson Fury, who also helped develop his striking game further.
“Technique and setting things up,” Harris said of what he learned from his time with Fury. “Learning to be patient and allowing the strikes to come to me and not forcing things. Learning how to work behind your jab and different types of head movements and angles and how to get to where you want in the ring.”
