WATCH: Tyson Fury Goes Full Gypsy King as Face Off Escalates

Punches Were Thrown and Shirts Were Taken Off as the Deontay Wilder v Tyson Fury Press Conference Got Very Heated…

There’s a lot on the line this weekend in LA. Deontay Wilder is set to take on Tyson Fury in a defense of his WBC championship. The belt isn’t the only prize up for grabs. The winner’s profile is set to be given a massive boost, and will very likely be next in line to fight UK triple champion Anthony Joshua.

Despite both men claiming mutual respect for each other’s dedication to the cause and strength of character, their relationship has been getting increasingly tense the closer we’ve got to the fight. Fury’s consistent slating of Wilder’s ponderous movement hasn’t helped, with the ‘The Bronze Bomber’ promising to knock the UK fighter out.

It all kicked off at the final press conference, after Fury put his hands on Wilder. The two teams got involved, with fists thrown, and Fury even took off his top off for some weird reason.

Intense

To say this was intense is putting it mildly. Wilder is an interesting character. He floats bizarrely under the radar for a US heavyweight champion who epitomises the American dream. With an unbeaten record of 40-0 (a sensational 39 wins by knockout) he really should have a much bigger profile. He clearly came to the press conference on a mission, determined to put the outspoken ‘Gypsy King’ back in his place.

After patronzing the furious Wilder, ‘The Bronze Bomber’s’ crew got involved. One of his teammates roared at Fury: ‘Why are you putting your hands on my boy?’ Fury just mocked him and pretended to duck and weave in front of Wilder. Before gently putting his hands on the Alabama fighter again. Cue chaos.

After a scuffle broke out, Fury went full gypsy, taking off his shirt and challenging Wilder there and then. It was very entertaining.

Champion

Fury insists that he is going to win this fight easily. He says it in a way that makes you believe him. Is there another fighter on the planet with the same amount of charisma as ‘The Gypsy King’ right now? Only Conor McGregor competes – but right now we’d argue Fury is the best at the verbal warfare. He told BBC:

“I stand as more than a champion – an ambassador for mental health. I am the people’s champion. I am not just fighting for me, I have millions of people that look up to me. I’ve heard a lot of people say Wilder by KO or Fury by points. I am telling you now, Wilder is getting knocked out.

“This is a moment I have waited for my entire career. This is the time, my time.Fury has had his window. Now I am here. I’ll be damned if I come and let a man from another country come and upset what I have built. He says he will knock me out but I don’t believe he will have the confidence. He speaks it but doesn’t believe it. When I sayityou can believe it, my numbers don’t lie. I will knock Tyson Fury out.”

Not Having It

Wilder deserves respect though. His winning and knockout records speak for themselves. Meanwhile his journey into the sport – to earn money so he could care for his sick daughter – is a beautiful story. Make no mistake, there’s a reason why he’s the favourite. He’s been much more active than Fury, and can throw absolute carnage. He said:

“This is a moment I have waited for my entire career. This is the time, my time.Fury has had his window. Now I am here. I’ll be damned if I come and let a man from another country come and upset what I have built. He says he will knock me out but I don’t believe he will have the confidence. He speaks it but doesn’t believe it. When I say it you can believe it, my numbers don’t lie. I will knock Tyson Fury out.”

We’ll see this weekend.