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Fury and Usyk in 12-minute face-off before insults fly
AAP • December 20th, 2024 9:00 am
AAP
Champion Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury have been locked in a protracted and bizarre dozen-minute face-off in the build-up to their world heavyweight title rematch in Saudi Arabia.
Briton Fury pledged to put the unified champion in the "hurt locker" on Sunday.
Fury has cut a menacing figure at the week's promotional events and Thursday's head to head press conference continued along the same theme as the predictably verbose 36-year-old Briton kept the talking to a minimum.
The biggest flashpoint came towards the end of the seemingly endless face-off when Fury began taunting Usyk, who hit back with his own insults and a smile, before they were eventually separated.
"I'm going to dish out a whole lot of pain. I'm going to put this f***** in the hurt locker, for sure," a heavily-bearded Fury said.
"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*****.
"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 f****** damage here on Saturday night."
Fury's approach to the build-up to the rematch is very different to the first fight when he sought to unsettle Usyk verbally and by towering over him at every available opportunity.
The tactic did not work and Usyk produced his finest career victory with a split decision win to add Fury's WBC belt to his WBA, IBF and WBO titles.
In reference to his successful gameplan of stalking the 'Gypsy King' around the ring, the 37-year-old promised a repeat performance.
"Don't be afraid. I will not leave you alone. See you on Saturday," said Usyk, who was subsequently stripped of the IBF title for refusing to face mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois.
Fury's brother Tommy and wife Paris watched from the crowd at Via Riyadh, but there was no sign of his dad John.
Trainer SugarHill Steward revealed on Wednesday that Fury Sr had been stood down from corner duties for the second collision with himself, second Andy Lee and a cutman making up the revised trio.
The corner work in May was strongly criticised with each of Steward, Lee and Fury Sr giving contradictory advice in between the later rounds.
It was part of a controversial week for Fury Sr, who was also left bloodied after head-butting a member of Usyk's entourage.
Fury has spent seven weeks at a training camp in Malta and has not spoken to Paris for three months in order to focus fully on avenging his only loss.
