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Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk had to be separated by security after an extraordinary 12-minute face-off in Saudi Arabia.
The pair refused to turn away from the obligatory face-to-face picture opportunity, that normally lasts seconds rather than minutes. Eventually, security had to step in as Fury started launching verbal grenades at his opponent.
Fury declared the time for humour has passed as he vowed to put Usyk in the “hurt locker” in their upcoming rematch in Riyadh this Saturday. Throughout this week’s media events, and particularly during Thursday’s face-to-face press conference, Fury has presented a much more intimidating presence than usual, keeping his commentary succinct.
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The tension escalated during an extended 12-minute stare-down, culminating in verbal jabs between the two fighters, which only ceased when they were finally pulled apart. Fury, sporting a full beard, ominously warned: “I’m going to dish out a whole lot of pain. I’m going to put this f***** in the hurt locker, for sure.”
He was unambiguous about his intent: “I’ve got nothing to say apart there’s going to be a whole lot of hurt and pain in this fight, you watch. Watch me go to work on this f****r.”
The former heavyweight champion underlined a stark shift from previous banter-filled encounters, stating: “The talking has been done. The first fight I talked and joked. All of my career. This time I’m serious – I’m going to do some fucking damage here on Saturday night.”
This rematch adopts a different build-up strategy compared to the original contest, during which Fury tried to psych Usyk out through verbal taunts and by using his height advantage at every chance – tactics that ultimately fell short as Usyk claimed a split decision victory, taking Fury’s WBC title along with his existing WBA, IBF, and WBO titles. Hinting at his effective strategy in that bout, the 37 year old Usyk indicated he intends to deliver yet another calculated pursuit of the ‘Gypsy King’ inside the ring.
“Don’t be afraid. I will not leave you alone. See you on Saturday,” declared Usyk, who was later stripped of the IBF title for refusing to face mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois. Tyson Fury’s brother Tommy and wife Paris were spotted in the crowd at Via Riyadh, but their father John was noticeably absent.
Trainer SugarHill Steward disclosed on Wednesday that Fury Sr had been relieved of his corner duties for the second bout, with himself, Andy Lee and a cutman forming the revised team. The corner work in May faced heavy criticism as Steward, Lee and Fury Sr gave conflicting advice during the later rounds.
It was a contentious week for Fury Sr, who ended up bloodied after headbutting a member of Usyk’s entourage. Fury spent seven weeks at a training camp in Malta and has refrained from speaking to Paris for three months to fully concentrate on avenging his only loss.
Promoter Frank Warren is confident he will win by knockout. “The first fight was magnificent. It was a great fight that had everything. It was a very close fight and there was a cigarette paper in the decision,” Warren commented.
“These guys know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and this fight is going to be about who has the strength to exploit the weaknesses. I believe Tyson Fury will come through this and I don’t think the fight will go the distance.”
“Tyson’s in great shape and in a great frame of mind. We’re going to get an extra special event – do not blink from the first bell.”