Tyson Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) danced, stripped and cursed up a storm during today’s press conference to announce his rematch against Wladimir Klitschko (64-4, 53 KOs), which will take place on July 9, 2016 in Manchester.
As weird as it may sound to a casual observer, Fury’s antics weren’t the shocker of the day. It was Klitschko who acted out of character and made a brash prediction about how the rematch will end.
“I will knock Tyson Fury out,” said the former champion, Klitschko (per Sky Sports). “I will not lose my words here. I will knock Tyson Fury out. Period.”
Fury’s act has definitely gotten under Klitschko’s skin and the Ukranian seems ready to go tit-for-tat verbally to promote this fight.
“What comes out of Fury’s mouth–a lot of the statements are disrespectful,” said Klitschko.
“That all homosexual men and women belong in the same place, all women belong either in the kitchen and on their back… so that’s where he sees Elton John and the Queen? To Tyson Fury and all the people out there who think the same way, I want to say: F*&# off!.”
Fury defeated Klitschko in Germany back in November of 2015. The fight was a dull affair and many people are wondering if Klitschko has enough left in the tank to seriously challenge Fury.
Fury, for his part, is not expecting anything different from Klitschko the second time around.
“I am a boxing historian,” said Fury (via The Telegraph). “If the great Larry Holmes couldn’t change his style after losing his titles, how will Klitschko? The man is not a fighter. I will tell you all once again, he is a manufacture, built-up boxer. He is not a fighter.”
Aside from dealing with Fury’s outbursts and striptease, Klitschko also received some tough questions from reporters during the press conference, suggesting that the 40 year-old Heavyweight may have cheated throughout his career.
“That is nonsense. I will give you no answer,” said Klitschko. “There are safety precautions regarding the handwrap element of your question, but that is nonsense.”
These questions are merely a game of slow pitch compared to the hostile environment that Klitschko will step into in Manchester on July 9 as he tries to regain the crown he held for over nine years.
Klitschko has been doing this for a long time, perhaps not in the role of challenger, but he knows what it takes to come back from defeat.
As for Fury, some of his quotes suggest that he may be bored with the whole boxing routine, even at the ripe age of 27.
“I hope Klitschko has the best camp and I hope he knocks me into next week. Because then I can retire happy and go on holiday until I’m dead,” said Fury. “And then write on my gravestone that I was the heavyweight champion of the world. Because we all get old, and life is a b*tch until you marry one.”
Perhaps a bit of mind games, but if Fury is serious, that mentality certainly that won’t bode well for his title defense preparation.
“I hate boxing. I hate it, I hate training, I hate speaking to all of you idiots,” said Fury.
“I would rather be at home eating sweets and chocolate with my kids. I hate boxing. But I am too f***** good at it to stop. It’s easy money, knocking over these bums.”
