Tyson Fury best press conference moments from Batman stunt to American Pie singalong
Associated PressTyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will come face to face later today as the pair take part in the final press conference before their undisputed world heavyweight title fight on Saturday, May 18.
Fury puts his WBC belt on the line against Usyk, who will defend his WBA, IBF and WBO world titles in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as boxing will crown its first ever four belt undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
In a fight week which has already been spicy, with Fury’s father, John Fury, clashing with a member of Usyk’s camp, there are expected to be fireworks as the pair look to gain the upper hand on one another in the verbal mind games.
Fury, 35, is famous for winning the fight outside of the ring, as well as inside the ropes, but, as of yet, no fighter has managed to draw Usyk into any pre-fight mind games.
As the pair put their undefeated records on the line, fans will be eager to see if Fury can get under Usyk’s skin and add another iconic press conference moment to his already impressive collection.
As we build up to the pre-fight press conference, Dexerto Sport has taken a look back at some of Fury’s most famous press conferences.
Contents
- Trash talking David Haye
- Batman and the Joker
- Topless vs Klitschko
- Deontay Wilder mind games
- Singalong with Bob Arum
Trash talking David Haye
Haye is well known, not only as a former two-weight world champion, but as one of the best self-promoters in boxing.
But he met his match with Fury, ahead of their proposed 2013 heavyweight bout, as the world found out just how good of a trash-talker the “Gypsy King” really was.
Haye was the favorite, having previously been a world champion, against the unbeaten Fury who had impressed at domestic level but hadn’t faced anybody of the caliber of the “Hayemaker”.
Although the fight never happened due to an injury to Haye, the pre-fight press conferences were certainly memorable.
When being introduced by Sky Sports presenter Adam Smith, Fury asked him to add ‘and sexy’ to his description of achievements in the game before he launched into a rant ridiculing Haye for the opponents he had faced at heavyweight.
“I’m glad this little b***h has signed the contract, there was a lot of messing around,” Fury said. “He is a big t**t, David Haye. I’ve given him everything he wants, so I’m glad he’s actually here and I want him to be the champion in this fight.
“Because it’s the last time he’s ever going to get claim to fame or glory or be a champion in history again.
“He’s had a bit of fun time fighting that (Nikolai) Valuev guy who can’t get out of his own weight, fights an old man in John Ruiz and takes nine rounds to get him out of there – over the hill.
“Then who does he fight? Audley Harrison – come on, people. Then he goes in there and gets bullied and played with like a little kid by Wlad (Wladimir Klitschko), the robotic Wlad.
“Haye’s got the explosive power, the movement, the head speed but he can’t hit a robot. Good work David. Good work, sir.”
The previously outspoken Haye looked lost for words and while the fight never happened inside the ring, Fury certainly got the better of the battle outside of the ring.
Batman and the Joker
Fury finally earned his shot at the world heavyweight title in 2015 when he challenged WBA, IBF and WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Klitschko had not lost a fight for over 11 years and was seen as one of the most dominant champions in heavyweight boxing history.
But while many of his opponents had lost the fight before they had even stepped into the ring, Fury’s belief he would beat the Ukrainian remained unshaken.
Instead of allowing Klitschko to win the pre-fight mind games, Fury set about trying to get under his skin and rendered his opponent speechless when he pulled off a Batman and the Joker stunt at his pre-fight press conference.
Fury turned up in a yellow Lamborghini and got out the car dressed as Batman. During the press conference, Fury jumped over the table and wrestled with a man dressed as the Joker.
After Fury got the better of the exchange, he turned to Klitschko and shouted: “You, next, this is a fool just like you are.
“Look at him, this is how you’ll be looking when you face me on October 24. You’ll look up on your back like that you old idiot, you old fool.
“You’ve taken too many punches, I didn’t understand anything you’ve just said, so repeat your speech again as nobody heard it.”
A bemused Klitschko looked on in dismay. Fury would go on to win the fight via unanimous decision and change the landscape of heavyweight boxing.
Topless vs Klitschko
After Fury’s win in the first fight, the pair were slated to fight again in a rematch the following year. Fury’s well documented struggles away from the ring put paid to that but that didn’t stop some pre-fight shenanigans in the press conference.
Klitschko’s usual calm pre-fight demeanor was nowhere to be seen and he launched into a tirade about controversial comments Fury had made in the past.
Fury slammed his rival for his bitterness and ridiculed him for losing to a ‘fat’ man, before pulling his shirt over his head and slapping his bare belly.
“He got beat the first time around fair and square,” said Fury. “He got beat on his own turf, you got whooped. You will have to come 1,000 times better because you landed about four times in 12 rounds against a big fat gypsy.
‘”You are a hall of dog s**t fighter in my mind. I’m going to knock him out inside a round just to show how s**t he is, and no 40-year-old is going to beat me, 27-years-old.”
Deontay Wilder mind games
Fury made a heroic return to boxing, after suffering from depression, as well as cocaine and alcohol abuse.
He got back in shape, lost 10 stone in weight and returned to the ring with routine wins over Sefer Seferi and Francesco Pianeta in 2018.
Then, a shot at regaining the world heavyweight title came calling when WBC champion Deontay Wilder challenged Fury in a voluntary defense.
The pre-fight build-up lit the blue touch paper for an incredible trilogy between the pair and if the hard-hitting Wilder thought Fury was going to be a light touch on his return, he was sorely mistaken.
Fury would get the better of the pre-fight verbals and Wilder routinely lost his cool in the build-up to both of their first two fights.
On one occasion, the American shoved Fury and the pair had to be separated after a scuffle which sent two security guards to the floor.
“That was a 10-8 round out there,” Fury said after the altercation. “I saw fear in his eye and his backside was flapping.
“He came here today to be cool, calm and collected to make a joke of things but I didn’t come here to joke. I’m here to get in his mind and put it right on him and I’ve done it over three dates.
“I’ve won every single competition. The mind games are mine, I am the master of the mind.”
The first fight ended in a contentious draw, but Fury made sure the judges weren’t needed in their second fight – stopping Wilder in the seventh round.
Wilder, who hadn’t previously been beaten, sacked a member of his backroom team for throwing the towel in to stop the fight and blamed his pre-fight costume as the reason he lacked energy in the ring.
A third fight would follow and instead of engaging in the pre-fight verbals, Wilder remained completely silent in a bizarre pre-fight press conference.
It didn’t work, though, as despite knocking Fury down twice in the fourth round, the Gypsy King knocked out Wilder in the 11th round to put the seal on their rivalry.
Singalong with Bob Arum
Top Rank CEO Bob Arum may well be in his nineties now but Fury still managed to get a singalong out of the veteran promoter after his win over Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas.
Fury serenaded the world’s media with a rendition of “American Pie” and Arum, as well as Fury’s British promoter Frank Warren, both joined in, in a clip that will live long in the memory of boxing fans.
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For all the biggest results and upcoming fights this year, check out Dexerto’s 2024 boxing schedule.