Reuters
Oleksandr Usyk (left) and Tyson Fury during the press conference [Source: Reuters]
Tyson Fury insisted that there would be no joking around ahead of his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, as both heavyweights were subdued in a bizarre press conference.
Usyk beat Fury on a split decision in Saudi Arabia in May to become a four-belt undisputed heavyweight champion, and the pair will meet once again at the same Kingdom Arena venue on Saturday in Riyadh with the WBC, WBO and WBA titles on the line.
In a news conference before the bout, both fighters gave curt opening statements before engaging in a tense and drawn-out faceoff that went on for over 11 minutes.
They were eventually separated by their entourages after a heated exchange.
Fury, garrulous even by the standards of a sport that thrives on trash-talking, was unusually quiet in the press conference and said he was fully focused on revenge.
Fury’s silence was the latest of a string of strange decisions in recent days, with the boxer not throwing a single punch during a public workout on Wednesday and reportedly banning his father from his corner for the bout.
Usyk, for his part, was typically business-like.
Promoter Bob Arum said he had confidence in Fury’s ability to win the rematch, pointing to the Briton’s dominant victory over former WBC champion Deontay Wilder in the second bout of their trilogy.
Promising 19-year-old heavyweight Moses Itauma and Australia’s Demsey McKean, a former sparring partner of two-time world champion Anthony Joshua, will fight on the undercard of the Usyk v Fury clash.
