The WBC heavyweight title holder (over 101.6 kg) British Tyson Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) gave
interview for Radio Rahim.
In a conversation, the British champion commented on the information about another fight against compatriot Derek Chisora, discussed other options for the next fight, spoke about the return of ex-champion from the United States Deontay Wilder (42-2-1, 41 KOs), the refusal of the December fight of the unified champion from of Ukraine Oleksandra Usyk (20-3, 13 KOs), talked about Muhammad Ali, criticized the sanctioning organizations and spoke about his plan with the title of The Ring magazine.
We don’t know exactly who your next opponent will be, but it looks like it will be Derek Chisora. These are reported, I don’t know how accurate they are.
“I don’t think anything is signed as of right now, but we are getting ready to announce the fight next week. The announcement of the opponent will inevitably be next week. I think there are four or five people under consideration. One of them will be chosen next week and it will be like Donkey Kong on December 3rd.
– What is the determining factor, what metrics do you use to choose an opponent?
– It’s like “They sat on the golden porch …”. Which one of these guys will I make a millionaire. Because that’s what we’re dealing with. This, in fact, will be the one to whom I will give the lottery ticket.
– If Chisora becomes your opponent and you are successful, then Usyk will be a more likely next opponent for you, which will make you the undisputed champion. Have you thought about it at all?
– Not really, because, in my opinion, Chisora worked at least for a draw with Usyk. And I will say that Chisora is just as dangerous as Usyk. If he is Chisora. It was a very good fight. Very close. I think that Chisora, at least, deserved a draw. Therefore, Chisora is not garbage. If he’s the real Chisora, he’s not trash. And if you don’t show your best boxing, Derek will blow you to pieces.
- Usyk’s manager: “He can’t beat Fury…”
– Would you call him the most dangerous opponent you choose from?
— No, there are a few left-handers there. I’m going to fight Usyk next year because he doesn’t want to fight in December. So there are a few left-handers that we’re looking at as well, which will obviously help. So again, does it really matter? Not sure.
Wilder is probably chilling at the thought of fighting you, but he will be in warm sunshine in 7 days.
“It will be a good fight for his return. He dropped out for a year. We don’t know how much the Gypsy King took from him. He just dropped out for a whole year. I gave him a damn thrashing last time. And it took him a long time to recover, but we’ll see. Don’t draw me a fourth fight with Wilder.
– Really?
– Yes. There is Usyk, who does not want to fight. We offered him millions, millions, millions to fight in December. He ran away. Bitch don’t need that arrow Then there’s the bodybuilder from here. He ran away from the biggest fee he could earn and came up with a million excuses – some kind of commercial rights… Wilder, at the same time, if he beats Helenius, they will make the final eliminator with him and Andy Ruiz. If he beats Ruiz, I think he will come back.
– Never.
— Big D [смеются]. I don’t mind because the guy wants to fight. This is a great fight. We had three good fights. If he becomes the mandatory challenger again and I don’t get a fight with this small middleweight, then I have to fight Wilder again, number one, if he gets that position. Who wouldn’t want to see this?
Ben Connor failed a doping test. What do you think about this news and about the decision not to fight?
To be honest, I don’t care about other people’s business. What happens with this fight is entirely up to them. The only thing that you will not see in me is a many-voiced criticism of someone, because it is in vogue. If you go to Instagram, you can see a lot of idiotic opinions about what happened to this fight and why it didn’t happen. Completely irrelevant people in boxing speak their minds. But I’m not like that. It’s none of my business, I don’t understand. I always say – don’t poke your nose into someone else’s question, because it will backfire on you. I don’t care. It’s not my business.
- “Narik, alcoholic, suicidal man returned from retirement!” Fury on Usyk, Wilder and Joshua
I’m wearing a Muhammad Ali jacket. On the back it says: “People’s Champion”. I don’t think there will be objections that you are in fact the people’s champion.
— Well, I love taking pictures with fans, hugging fans and doing what I can. There are times when you need to close yourself off from it, but there is also a time for everyone. Can you imagine me and Muhammad Ali in the same room over a pint of beer or something like that?
— I would like to listen to your conversations [смеётся].
– I think if he were alive now, God rest his soul, we would be the best buddies in the whole world.
– The gypsy king is on everyone’s clothes. You are the people’s champion of today. What does it mean for you to be back in the ring and be able to become the undisputed champion, after which I think you can actually end your career?
– The absolute championship has never been in my interests. The absolute championship for me is like pound-for-pound. It doesn’t really mean much in my life. After what I have achieved in my life, after which I returned – the absolute championship and pound-for-pound – it’s all bullshit, it’s really not in my interests.
Of all these organizations, I respect only one. Too direct, but it’s true. I respect only the WBC. The rest I’m not interested in. Because I was a champion in every organization and they treated me like a piece of shit. Sanctioning organizations treated the undefeated heavyweight champion like a piece of shit. You know it was. If you are watching this interview, then know that you did it to yourself. However, the WBC is a real, family-oriented, proper organization that I respect. Mauricio, Pepe and the rest of the gang I really admire. They are people who do a lot of good things. And in my opinion, this is the best organization. And that’s the only belt I’m worried about.
– You were a great WBC champion, even the champion of The Ring magazine. You owned all these belts.
– The Ring magazine is not a sanctioning organization, so I would not put them in this place. But I kept The Ring magazine belts close to my heart, because this is the holy grail of boxing, this is the title of Rocky Balboa.
– You gave it away, do you want to return it back?
“There is a technique in my madness. I dropped The Ring magazine title to be fought for, so I became a three-time The Ring magazine champion and connected in the sky with Muhammad Ali, the only one to become a three-time The Ring magazine world champion. So I gave it to them on purpose to break them and get it back.
Meanwhile, Fury hesitated the editors of The Ring – he is not in the new heavyweight rankings.