In preparation for Saturday’s undisputed heavyweight bout against Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury said he was prepared to fight and stated he would pray for Usyk.
Two days before what is being called the biggest fight of the century, the occasionally wild Manchester native kept his remarks brief in a quiet press appearance on Thursday.
Evander Holyfield, the man Lennox Lewis defeated to unify the belts, and Lewis himself sat in the front row while Fury spoke. Lewis became the last undisputed heavyweight champion in 1999.
“I am prepared. As he strode onto the platform, brandishing his WBC belt, Britain’s Fury declared, “I’m ready for a good fight.” That was all I had to say.
“I will be prepared for anything, no matter how difficult.”
Neither boxer has used the customary trash-talking, even though there were fireworks in the buildup when John Fury headbutted someone in Usyk’s entourage.
It’s all about getting back to our families unscathed, Fury remarked of Usyk, “I’ll pray for him before we walk out.” Um, yeah.
As he waited to speak, the Ukrainian—dressed in a white suit and sash—wrote a poem and stashed it in his pocket.
While declining to recite the poetry, Usyk expressed his excitement and happiness at being here.
My homework is this. “Let your hands talk in the ring,” he said Fury, adding, “It’s a poem.”
After defeating Holyfield—the unchallenged champion at cruiserweight and heavyweight—British boxer Lewis won the belts from the WBC, WBA, and IBF.
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