Former heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs gives Deontay Wilder a very realistic shot of upsetting the odds when he faces Tyson Fury in a trilogy fight.

Wilder and Fury fought to a controversial twelve round split draw in 2018. Fury went down twice in the fight. 

Last February, in their rematch, Fury stopped Wilder in the seventh round of a one-sided fight to capture the WBC world title. This time around it was Wilder who went down twice in the contest.

Their third fight is targeted to take place on July 24 in Las Vegas.

Fury is a big favorite to win the fight and then move forward with a full division unification against IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO champion Anthony Joshua.

But Briggs is not convinced the scenario will ultimately play out in that manner

He doesn't rule out the possibility of Wilder scoring a knockout victory.

"Don't sleep on Wilder," Briggs tells Sky Sports. "Throughout the history of the boxing world, he is a freak of nature. He could crack anybody and knock them out with his power.

"He will be an underrated guy for a long time because he didn't have a lot of guys to fight. We don't know what he will come with in this fight. He might shock the world! Fury might have got the wrong idea. If this guy knocks out Fury, then what? It is possible. Will there be a fourth fight?

"Fury can't sleep on Wilder. We've got to look at this for what it is - a 200-pounds man? With those skinny legs he shouldn't hit that hard! But he hits sickly hard. It isn't normal to hit that hard. But he can't fight backing up."