WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk 21-0 (14) has warned WBC titleholder Tyson Fury 34-0-1 (24) that if he touches him again, he does so at his own peril.
The 36-year-old Ukrainian southpaw came face-to-face with Britain’s Fury, 35, in London last week at the kick off press conference at OVO Arena Wembley to officially announce their February 17 bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Fury did what Fury does. He played up to the cameras, gave Usyk an earful of abuse and got up close and personal with the former undisputed cruiserweight champion during the mandatory face-off photograph opportunity.
“He’s getting knocked out… so remember that,” Fury said. “Remember I said it on this stage… I’ve already relieved one Ukrainian of all the belts. And I’ll relieve that idiot of the belts I gave him.
“I’m gonna bust him. Sausage. Ugly little man. Rabbit. You’re fighting the best British heavyweight that’s ever been. You beat the rest of him, but you ain’t beat Tyson Fury.
“When you sleep at night, ugly man, you’re gonna think of me for the next eight weeks, cause I’m gonna punch your face in.”
Usyk smiled through Fury’s tirade, barely bothering to challenge him.
“Listen, I think, Tyson, he’s number one for press conferences,” Usyk explained to Boxing King Media. “A lot of speak. I can’t over-talk him. I try, but for me, I think it’s not possible. Tyson is first man who blah blah blah blah blah. It’s good. I respect Tyson, Tyson’s team, yeah. That’s the way I live.”
Fury’s words might have been like water off a duck’s back to Usyk, but there was one thing the self-styled ‘Gypsy King’ did that he couldn’t abide.
It drew a stern rebuke from Usyk, who warned him not to try it on again.
“But Tyson Fury touch me,” he said. “I was like hey, listen I’m ready to fight, always, every night, every time. But a press conference, it’s like a show, but if you want to push me, I not stay relaxed. Don’t touch me please. We speak in the ring.”
Fury will be looking for a big performance against Usyk after an underwhelming performance against boxing debutant Francis Ngannou 0-1 in their 10-round non-title bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last month.
The former UFC heavyweight champion had Fury on the deck in the third and went the distance only to lose a disputed split decision.
Usyk’s last fight against Daniel Dubois 19-2 (18) in Wroclaw, Poland in August was not without contorversy either. Usyk was dropped by a body punch in the fifth round that was ruled low, causing his critics to accuse him of milking the five minutes offered by referee Luis Pabon to recover.
Usyk went on to knock out Dubois in the ninth.
