Fury vows to make a ‘lemonade’ out of champ Wilder
LONDON: Britain’s Tyson Fury denied he was the “challenger” to heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder as he tried to rile the American by promising to make “lemonade out of a lemon” on Monday.
The two unbeaten boxers will meet for Wilder’s World Boxing Council version of the title in Los Angeles on Dec 1.
Fury, 30, is the former International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organisation heavyweight champion and remains undefeated in 27 fights.
During a press conference peppered with obscene language at broadcaster BT Sport’s studios, Fury rose from his seat to challenge Wilder to a “body spar” before the pair were separated by security staff.
“I am no challenger for no man. I’m the lineal heavyweight champion of the world, the best of the best,” Fury said. “This is two champions colliding, equal rights.”
Fury thinks of himself as a world champion because he has never lost his titles in the ring.
But he lost all his belts, for a variety of reasons, during a two-and-a-half-year absence from the ring after his shock win over former champion Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015.
Fury, who struggled with mental health issues, returned to boxing with a farcical stoppage of Sefer Seferi in June.
Having once turned up to a pre-fight conference with Klitschko dressed as Batman, Fury was more soberly attired in a three-piece suit on Monday.
But the colourful language that has been a feature of his career was in evidence as he tried to goad Wilder, who has won 39 of his 40 fights by way of knockout.
Fury, asked if he considered having more fights before taking on Wilder, said: “It’s no concern at all. If you are a fighting man, you are a fighting man. If you can fight, you can fight.
“I could have fought 10 bums if I wanted to. He [Wilder] is a lemon, I’m going to squeeze him. I’m going to make lemonade out of this lemon.”
But Wilder, 32, countered: “When I say I am the best, the baddest man of the planet, I believe every word I say.
“When it comes to Tyson Fury, I am all about devastating knockouts. He knows he’s going to get knocked out.”