Candid interview for the current WBC heavyweight champion
The British boxer, the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title holder, has been stripped of The Ring belt for weeks after announcing he is retiring from boxing. The vacant title in a rematch with Etony Joshua was won by Oleksandr Usyk, who added the prestigious belt to his WBA/WBO/IBF/IBO belt collection in the Royal Division and also became the first boxer to receive The Ring belt in the heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. But it turned out that Fury’s statements were just another trick of the cunning Gypsy King.
Almost immediately after the rematch between Usyk and Joshua Fury, he announced his readiness to enter the ring against the Ukrainian, and a little later in an interview magazine The Ring, who, in fact, gives “his” championship belt, explained the motives for his statement. He also told why he is confident in his victory over Usyk, why the fight with Joshua is important for him and what he fights for. It turned out very interesting.
About his next comeback
“I got bored in retirement. I had five months out of the ring and changed my mind. But no one believed me, did they? I wouldn’t pass a lie detector test, that’s for sure.
I’m here to make history. Muhammad Ali is one heavyweight champion with three Ring Magazine belts. I’ll be next to him when I get a middleweight [Усика] in the ring.
I sat at home for five months, did shows and filmed a little. That was great! But nothing ever beats being heavyweight champion of the world and playing a little prank on the guys. When I talk about guys, I mean everyone else in boxing. I like boxing. I just love it. I still have plenty of time to do whatever I want. I will probably become the “New Mongoose” (in honor of the “Old Mongoose” – Archie Moore – approx. Ed.) And continue to box at 50 years old.
I was gone for a minute, but now I’m back. I missed the roar of the crowd and everything related to boxing. Can’t wait to put on a show during these difficult times. To all who are having a hard time in times of crisis and rising energy bills, I want to give everyone hope and another big event they can attend. They can have some fun and forget about everything else that is going on in the world. The fight with Tyson Fury is more than boxing. It’s a show and entertainment for the public.”
About the Usyk-Joshua rematch
“Tendril — shorter, more agile and left-handed. Any of those big, slow-footed, clumsy heavyweights will fight Usyk’s style. I don’t think Joshua could have played better. He tried his best, that’s all. There is no shame in losing to the best boxer. This is what happened. Usyk is better than Joshua in every way. That’s all.
If they fought five times, Joshua could win one thanks to a well-placed strike. But the law of averages says that the smaller, better boxer beats Joshua every time.”
About a possible fight with Usyk
“Where I come from, you can’t call a man unless you’re ready to fight him. Usyk said he had been training at the gym for six months. I’ve been in boxing all my life, studied it forever, but I’ve never seen anyone doing a six-month training camp. No wonder he’s injured. Do you know how long I will train for Joshua if this fight happens? Five weeks. Get in the ring, knock out, and then move on to the next opponent.”
“Tyson Fury does what Usyk does, but I’m a bigger, better version of him with a knockout punch. Usyk thinks he’s a nimble little 100kg bastard and he can box and move. I’ve been boxing and moving my whole career, but now I just love knocking out motherfuckers. I have never sparred or fought anyone with more speed than me. Usyk is a heavyweight, but he is not faster than me. The fact that he is a middleweight should supposedly increase his speed. But the middleweight, who gained an additional 22-25 kg, is unlikely to become faster. If a boxer weighs 90 kilos and then moves up to heavyweight, he gains more mass and slows down.”
Why would Tyson Fury beat Usyk? Because Tyson Fury is a 2.6-meter-tall, 120-kilogram, destructive machine that won’t stop throwing combinations at a person who can’t hurt him.
Joshua is known to have a weak chin. But Usyk didn’t even shake him in the second fight, and Joshua kept getting hit. He just kept his hands up and kept walking forward.
We saw how Derek Chisora - an ordinary boxing apprentice – gave Usyk a lot of problems. Derek is a good journeyman with 12 losses, and he had a great fight with Usyk, winning five rounds out of seven. Usyk was only two rounds better than the old apprentice.
Remember, Mairis Briedis – not the tallest and not the biggest boxer – almost defeated Usyk using an aggressive style. Michael Hunter looked decent against Usyk. So I won’t say that Usyk is a clever left-hander. Look at his face after his fights.”
On his preparation for a possible fight with Usyk
“I would just stay at my usual weight, which I usually train for fights – 120 kilograms or close to it. In the fight with Wilder, I only weighed 125 kg because I trained for four weeks. It was a very difficult camp for me. I weighed 136 kg when I started training, so 125 kg is a good result.
But Usyk’s legs are faster than mine at this weight. But I have more power, longer arms, I’m 30 centimeters taller and I have a bigger heart. Why more heart? Heart gets up from the floor and continues to fight in the 12th round after being knocked out. The heart rises twice in the 4th round to knock out the bastard in the 11th round. This is what you call a big heart.
I will do to the little European what Riddick Bowe did to Evander Holyfield in the first and third fights. A good big boxer will beat a good little boxer. He’s a good little boxer, but he’s not a good big boxer. He had four heavyweight fights: two against a bodybuilder (Joshua) whom he could outbox 10 times a week; Chisora - apprentice; and Chaz Witherspoon, where he had no ideas.
The Gypsy King rules this heavyweight division. Everyone does what I say and I have earned that right. I remained undefeated for 14 years. I took on the toughest fucking trials. I defeated one of the longest-running champions in history (Wladimir Klitschko) and knocked out the strongest puncher in history (Wilder). All I have to do is tune in to that average weight. And you know what they’ll say when I win? “Oh, he was too small, he would never beat Fury!” They already say it.”
On the fight against Joshua
“He’s going to be a big underdog, so he’s in a win-win situation. If everyone expects him to lose and he beats me, then he will be on top again and get more than ever.
Yes, he lost three fights, but what difference does it make if he loses the fourth? Four defeats mean nothing. Look at Derek Chisora, he’s had 12 losses and he’s still fighting at a high level in big fights.
Money? I just want to fight. I would offer Joshua a 60/40 split as champion and contender. I think this is more than fair. Not going to offer 75 to 25 like they would offer me. Because I want this fight to happen, I’m ready to give Joshua 40 percent.
Yes, if I presented would have given away the distribution of fees in the fight with Joshua WBC, they would probably say 70/30 in my favor. Joshua has nothing, he lost twice in a row, but I see value in him. Despite the fact that he lost to Usyk, I still think that in England my boss with AJ will be more significant than my fight with Usyk. Therefore, 60 to 40 is such an agreement. Take it or not.”
About Usyk’s possible rivals
“I think Usyk will be uncomfortable for Wilder for the first three or four rounds, but Usyk is slowing down. We’ve seen it happen. We saw Joshua hit and shake him. Wilder will land Usyk one hit and by the fifth round it will be all over. Perhaps Usyk can outbox him up to 10 rounds, but in a 12-round fight he will be knocked out. I don’t care that you’re the smartest person in the world. As soon as Wilder hits him, it’s all goodbye.
Wilder is a dangerous boxer. He can stop all these heavyweights like he did with Ortiz. It took Joshua seven rounds to break Dominic Breazeale. Wilder needed one hit.
I would root for Wilder in his fight with Joshua. I would root for him in any fight except with me. Deontay Wilder is a piece of shit, but in my opinion he is still the second best heavyweight in the world. He has a crazy kick. I felt it. We had 10 knockdowns in three fights.”
Source: Sportarena
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
