By: Sean Crose
Looking like a Bond villain, WBC, WBA, and WBO heavyweight champion of the world Oleksandr Usyk took part in a press conference Wednesday with former WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to promote their Decemeber 21st rematch in Saudi Arabia. The first fight between the two men, which went down in May, was razor close, though Usyk was ultimately awarded the victory. Yet Fury, who suffered his first defeat that bout, appeared relaxed well focused while speaking to the assembled media in London on Wednesday.
“I’m just looking forward to a fantastic fight,” the man known as “The Gypsy King” said. “Last time in May it was a fantastic fight. Oleksandr won the fight fair and square. (I’m) just looking to put on a great fight again. It was very close last time. He got it by a point.”
Fury made it clear, however, that he feels he can win the rematch. “A little bit more focus, a little bit more lack of complacency, and I should do the job I need to do,” he said. “Nothing drastic has to change, a bit more the same, a little bit more focused like I say and I will be victorious.” Indeed, Fury indicated that a knockout victory might well be in order.
“As it would seem, my rematch with people always ends up one way,” he said. “I always end up knocking them out in the rematch. Whoever I’ve faced more than once has been knocked out in the rematch. I’m envisioning something similar in the second fight with Usyk.” With that being said, the first fight was close enough that it’s difficult to say which direction the rematch will go.
“All I can do is prepare well, train hard, eat well, go to bed early, wake up early, do the right things, listen to people around me, and the rest is in God’s hands. Last time in May it wasn’t my time to win or else the Almighty would have have given me the victory and I’m very happy Usyk got the decision because God’s timing is not late, He’s not imperfect, it’s perfection so that (the Usyk victory) was meant to be and we’re going to find out what is meant to be on December 21st. I believe it will be my time this time. “
This was a more serious Fury on Wednesday, one that isn’t always present in such scenarios. “I believe that all things that happen, negative or positive, are lessons we must learn from the things that we go through in our lives. We can only do the best we can do as human beings, and as boxers, and as fathers, and as husbands, and everything else. We can only do the best we can do as men, and that what we know how to do best is to go in there and knock the fuck out of each other in a fight and to put on a show for the paying customer. ”
As for Bond villain Usyk (who, like Fury, has no problem acting goofy for the cameras) he seemed to want to keep in character Wednesday. He even asked Fury to sign a photo of him punching Fury in the face during their first fight. Fury obliged. “I don’t have motivation,” Usyk stated deadpan. “Only my regimen under my concentration. This is my motivation. Enough.”