They even had to be separated: Usyk and Fury are nose to nose for 11 minutes for title fight
The staring contest ended in a draw. World champion Oleksandr Usyk and challenger Tyson Fury stared into each other’s eyes for a whopping 11 minutes at the final press conference before their heavyweight title fight on Saturday.
They don’t want to give way to each other. Not in the ring, and not at the press conferences. Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury made this clear during the traditional staredown before their title fight.
The two top boxers stared into each other’s eyes for no less than 11 minutes. With their noses inches apart, they refused to budge. Ultimately, the two heavyweights had to be separated.
“We’ve talked enough,” Tyson Fury had said at the press conference beforehand. “I’ve joked a lot throughout my career, but now I mean it. I’m going to do some serious damage. This fight will cause a lot of pain and sadness.”
The 37-year-old Usyk remained calm. “This is just a spotlight meeting. Ultimately, it all comes down to Saturday night.”
I’ve joked many times, but now I mean it. I’m going to do some serious damage.
Tyson Fury
Usyk and Fury will face each other for the second time this year on Saturday evening in the Saudi capital Riyadh. The heavyweights will compete for the WBC, WBO and WBA world titles, which are currently held by Usyk.
The Ukrainian captured the titles in May by handing Fury his first career defeat on a split decision.
Usyk is still undefeated after 22 professional bouts, Fury has 34 wins, one draw and one defeat on his boxing record.
Striking: the world title fight will be judged on Saturday not only by three judges, but also by an AI judge. That is an experiment, the AI findings do not count for the outcome.
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