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Fans are beside themselves as the first undisputed heavyweight title fight of the four-belt era has been announced for February 17. But for a typically brash Tyson Fury, it’s just another fight.
The Gypsy King will face Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia for the first time since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in March 1999 to unify the division, but Fury claims he ‘doesn’t care’.
Speaking exclusively to Mail Sport about the undisputed title fight, Fury said: ‘Just the same old s***. Boxing, boxing, boxing. That is it.
‘I’m not interested in unquestioned honesty. I’m not interested in any of those things. I don’t care about uniting the divisions and all that stuff.
‘I have already done it. I did it when I beat Klitschko. I won all the belts. Then I won the WBC, so I won every title there is to win, including Ring Magazine, WBO and all those other titles. I’ve already had them.
Tyson Fury sat down for an exclusive interview ahead of a press conference announcing his fight with Oleksandr Usyk
Fury’s highly anticipated fight against Usyk will take place on February 17
‘It’s not that exciting if you’ve already done it. It’s like saying, “Oh my god, you’re going to climb Mount Everest, you’ve done it sixteen times before, but you’re going to do it again.” And then ask: how enthusiastic are you? It’s like I’ve done it many times before.
“Oh my god, you have another boxing fight on Saturday, how excited are you?” Well, yeah, very excited, but I’ve already had 35.
‘It’s like having another baby. I already have seven, so there’s a good chance she’ll probably get pregnant again. Will I get incredibly excited? It’s fantastic, but I’ve been here before.’
Fury may be downplaying it, but it’s a fight that boxing fans have been craving and they’re finally getting it – albeit not when they thought they were.
The showdown was scheduled for December 23 before Fury took part in a tougher-than-expected fight with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou on October 28 in Riyadh.
The 35-year-old was left battered and bruised as he left the ring after his points victory over the Cameroonian on the opening day of the Riyadh season.
After the results were announced, Usyk climbed into the ring to confront the Gypsy King, but Frank Warren quickly ended the December 23 talks.
He urged Fury to take some time to rest and recover after the fight, claiming they would reschedule the undisputed title fight for the new year.
Their undisputed match will be the first since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in November 1999
The highly anticipated fight will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in three months
Asked if he was disappointed to see the fight pushed back, Fury said: “I don’t care. I get paid in February, I get paid in December. I do not mind.’
Whatever Fury says, it appears the intensity of the Battle of the Baddest has taken its toll on Fury mentally and physically, leaving him visibly subdued in the ring just three weeks ago.
When asked about his post-fight deflation, Fury said: “I think the fight went really well. I got paid, I got sex and I got out of there. Now I’m working on my next one. It can’t get any better than that.
‘And did I say anything at all that night or was it not positive afterwards? No, I did not. In terms of body language, I had a big black eye and a cut on my face. What the hell am I supposed to look like?’
Fury may believe he has already cemented his legacy and that February 17 is just another fight, but he recognizes the importance of training hard, despite joking that he has been eating and drinking ‘s***’ since the Ngannou fight.
Fury smiled and said, “I just did what I usually do. Drink, eat s***, don’t exercise, do what I usually do. You know me. Still the same old G.”
But he added: “I’m always in camp. I’m always training. it’s not a big thing. It’s a boxing fight, I’ve had enough.
‘It’s not like I’ve never been to the gym. I just finished a ten-round fight a few weeks ago.”
Fury struck at Eddie Hearn after the Matchroom Boxing promoter said he heard ‘rumblings’ that the Gypsy King was considering retirement following his close call against Ngannou
Morecambe’s WBC heavyweight king – who defeated Ngannou via split decision thanks to scorecards of 94-95, 96-93 and 95-94 in his favor – wants to knock out Usyk on February 17.
The Gypsy King said he will aim for headshots despite Usyk struggling to deal with Daniel Dubois’ right hand to the body.
Fury told Mail Sport: ‘I’m looking for facial pictures. Always looking for the knockout. I’m looking for facial photos, in the face! In the face. That’s what I’m looking for.’
Should Fury win, he will take Ukraine’s WBA, IBF and WBO titles and be crowned the era’s first undisputed four-belt heavyweight.
So, where does the Gypsy King go from there? Well, it’s not a topic Fury wants to discuss.
Fury goes into the fight on the back of a hard-fought win against Francis Ngannou last month
Fans were hoping to see the fight in December, but Frank Warren urged Fury to take some time to rest and recover after his fight with Ngannou after suffering a bruised eye during the fight.
Even the slightest mention of Anthony Joshua aggravated the gypsy king. He said, “I don’t even want to say anything else. Don’t say another fighter’s name.
“Say no more boxing people, because I got the fight you all dreamed about. The undisputed fight.
‘Isn’t this what you longed for? So, are you going to say someone else’s name now that I’m giving you exactly what you want?
“It’s not a Christmas present, but it’s a cheering thing in February. F*** after that. Enjoy now. Enjoy today!’
Fury also claims he could retire after fighting Usyk when he slammed Eddie Hearn for suggesting he hang up his gloves.
The Gypsy King said: ‘I’m not interested in Eddie Hearn. Frankly, I’m not interested in what he has to say. Eddie Hearn works for me now.
“I don’t care what he said because he’s irrelevant. Why would I be interested in retirement? Honestly, I don’t care what these people have to say, who are they anyway? They work for me as file managers. It is what it is.’
Usyk’s agent Alex Krassyuk (left) insisted he won’t believe the Ukrainian’s world title fight with Fury will definitively happen until he ‘hears the bell for the first round’
Despite talks about a potential fight for more than a year, Fury said the deal was ‘completed within 30 minutes’