Tyson Fury has launched into an impassioned rant about boxing history to underline why he believes he will beat Oleksandr Usyk to become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Fury will unify his WBC belt with Usyk’s WBA, IBF and WBO straps on Saturday, May 18, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as both fighters put their unbeaten records on the line in the pursuit of greatness.
The “Gypsy King” is renowned for his trash talk in the pre-fight build-up but was at pains during Wednesday’s pre-fight press conference to declare his respect for the achievements of Usyk.
The Ukrainian fighter was undisputed cruiserweight world champion in the past and is looking to become the third fighter in the four-belt era to become undisputed world champion at two different weight classes.
But in a fiery rant, Fury quickly followed up his respect for Usyk by dubbing himself “an encyclopaedia of boxing”, claiming history shows that cruiserweights eventually get “found wanting” against elite heavyweights and has predicted Usyk will suffer the same fate against him.
“This is not personal,” Fury said. “It is strictly business for both fighters. I don’t hate him, he is a good husband, a good, God-fearing man, so I respect him as a man and as a fighter.
🗣️ "This is not personal, it's strictly business" 💼Tyson Fury on facing Oleksandr Usyk 💪#FuryUsyk | Sky Sports Box Office | May 18 📌 pic.twitter.com/nWdntsiONh
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) April 10, 2024
“He is undisputed cruiserweight champion and the unified heavyweight champion so anybody would have to respect the man’s achievements.
“He is a good fighter and it is a tough challenge I have in front of me. But I am very confident in my ability and very confident I will beat the guy.
“That is not to say he is s**t because he loses to me. Everybody I have beaten before, even long-reigning, lineal champions like Wladimir Klitschko, after I beat him everybody was like: ‘he is a piece of s**t him’.
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“Wilder, all of these guys after I’ve beaten them, they say is a piece of s**t. So please don’t say Oleksandr Usyk is s**t after I beat him because he is not. He is the unified heavyweight champion and undisputed cruiserweight champion.
“But my personal opinion of it is we have weight divisions for a reason. Me being an encyclopaedia of boxing who has studied every heavyweight and cruiserweight who has ever lived, when the cruiserweights step up to the big boys they get found wanting.
“Even the greatest cruiserweight who ever lived, Evander Holyfield, when he stepped up to the big boys like “Big Daddy” [Riddick] Bowe and Lennox Lewis, he was found wanting.
“You can beat the average big ones but not the elite big ones because size really matters. We have weight divisions for a reason and he is going to be found wanting when he fights me on May 18.
“Look at David Haye. He was an explosive, good cruiserweight and a good heavyweight. When he fought average heavyweights, he could beat them. When he stepped up to face Klitschko, it wasn’t really a contest.
“Tomasz Adamek. A good light-heavyweight, a good cruiserweight, he beat some good heavyweights. He stepped up to the big boys [and was] beaten. The same thing will happen to Oleksandr.
“Sultan Ibragimov. Olympic silver-medalist, was 20-0 and beat Shannon Briggs for the world championship. He was found wanting by Wladimir Klitschko. I could keep going on and on and on. I am not slagging anyone off, these are facts.
“I have studied this game all my life and you cannot prove me wrong. This is my time, my destiny, my era and my generation. Facts.”