THE CHALLENGER WHO STILL BELIEVES HE’S CHAMPION
The Ring: Given what you’ve said, would you fight for the IBF belt? Fury: It makes it difficult for me – to pay someone a lot of money to fight for their belt when there’s an agenda against me. Now, people might say, “He’s bitter toward the IBF because they didn’t give him a decision.” OK, give me a top 15 ranking, then. I must be good enough to be in the top 15! God Almighty!!! The Ring Magazine has Usyk as champion and me as number one. The WBC has got me rated number one. The WBO has me rated number one. The WBA already has a number one, so they’ve got me … somewhere
be as direct when it comes to Usyk? Can you tell me how you win this fight? Fury: I’m going to set about him. I’m going to knock him out. I’m going to walk him down. I’m going to beat the fuck out of him. I’m not going on the back foot; I’m going to punch his head right in. That’s it! I’m gonna go on that front foot – all-out attack. There’s no glory in losing on points in a decision where I could have won, should have won, but I didn’t get it … that ain’t glory for me. Glory for me is going out and taking it into my own hands. While I’m in there for the 36 minutes, I have the opportunity to knock him out. By doing that, putting pressure on him, hitting
concluded, Fury emailed the writer with proof that Damiani was, in fact, the inaugural WBO heavyweight titleholder. Moorer was the third fighter to hold that crown and was the inaugural WBO light heavyweight champion. The Ring would like to bow to the former champ’s superior knowledge.) Fury: Anyway, I’m in good company. There’s Ali, Lewis, Holyfield and Moorer. There’s only four in history who’ve done it. Obviously, AJ would have been up there, but it didn’t work out for him, so it’s my chance next. Three-time!!! Unlucky for some, but lucky for some!
(currently No. 2). The IBF don’t have me in their top 15 after paying them a fortune for my last fight – a split- decision loss to their champion. How does that work? How can they be trusted? The Ring: Why should fans venture to Riyadh to watch the
him to the head and body, smashing him to pieces, that’s what I’ve gotta do. Whether it’s gonna be as easy as what I’m saying … it might be a different thing when I’m in there, but that’s my plan. I’ve got to take him out, just to make sure. The Ring: Should you get revenge, is this even more legacy- defining for you than if you’d won? To come
“Glory for me is going out and taking it into my own hands.While I’m in there for the 36 minutes, I have the opportunity to knock him out.”
Fury-Usyk rematch? Fury: This is the biggest rematch available in boxing today. It’s the biggest fight in boxing … by far. Me and Usyk, a man who has already beaten me. Am I completely gone or am I still the old dancing master? We’ll see! If this doesn’t excite them, then they need to go and watch racing car driving, WWE wrestling or whatever else they’re into. The last fight was a great fight. Regardless of which way it went, it had everything for 12 rounds: boxing, skill, hurtful punches, wobbling, a 10-8 round, a comeback. It had literally everything that any fight could offer. From a fan’s point of view, it must have been a fantastic fight to watch. It was a good fight for boxing and for the heavyweight division.
The Ring: If you beat Usyk, you’d currently have to beat Daniel Dubois to become undisputed. Do you want the IBF belt? Fury: Here’s the thing, and this might sound strange to the readers: I’ve just paid the IBF about a million dollars to fight for their belt. I’ve been a world champion for as long as I can remember and was undefeated for 17 years. Right now, I don’t have an IBF rating. And these are the people who decided my fate. They don’t have me in their top 15. Check it out, early October 2024, updated rankings, I’m not in their top 15. And let’s say I lost a split decision to the present champion. Surely I’m worthy of being in the top 15? Fuckin’ hell!!!
back and beat the first man to beat you. Fury: Yeah, get a victory over him and put myself up there as a three- time heavyweight champion along with Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield and… was there someone else? The Ring: Michael Moorer, but there’s an asterisk there. Moorer was the first guy to win the WBO heavyweight title and that belt wasn’t recognized at the time. Fury: [Francesco] Damiani, wasn’t it?
The Ring: I’m sure it was Moorer. Fury: Oh, okay!
(Ten minutes after this interview
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