On October 24, unified WBA, IBF, & WBO world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko will face Tyson Fury, arguably his toughest test in years. Klitschko will undoubtably go down as a boxing legend for his dominance of the heavyweight division in his era, dating back twelve years since the retirement of Lennox Lewis in 2003, but what do we know about his opponent? Referred to as the Gypsy Warrior with charismatic underpants, Tyson Fury stands 6 foot, 9 inches tall and has an unbeaten, unblemished record, but today we learned something else...Tyson Fury is Batman.
Earlier today in London, when Wladimir Klitschko showed up to the first press conference since Sky Sports announced a deal to broadcast his world title defense on pay-per-view, Tyson Fury arrived in a Lamborghini, jogging in to the building as the caped crusader. When the dramatic and comical entrance was over and everybody got down to business, a more focussed Fury expressed his confidence in bringing the world title to Britain, and in doing so, sending Klitschko into retirement.
"I'm as confident as waking up in the morning and putting my shoes on. That's how this fight is going to go; very sharp, easy, simple, knockout! There is no doubt in my mind that I can't beat Wladimir Klitschko. I wouldn't be the fighter I am if I couldn't beat a man like that who has had all them defenses, beat all them Americans, all them Europeans, but he ain't beat me," commented a fired up Fury before rising from his chair to point in Klitschko's direction "Listen, you have fought all these peasants from Poland, Russia, or wherever it is you're from, but you've not fought a Gypsy King. You've never fought a king, but you're looking at one here, pal, me!"
While Klitshko, with trainer Jonathan Banks, sat there with a smirk on their faces, an animated Fury continued with the insults. "You are nothing. You're an old man. You are getting knocked out. Please God, I wish it was this weekend. You would get hurt. I wish it was this weekend because you would get knocked out," Fury yelled. "I will take all of you on. Hughie [Fury] already beaten one Ukrainian. Number two is coming up. This clown is getting knocked out and I don't care if Eddie Hearn thinks I will get beat, he's getting knocked out. You're going to end up with egg on your face."
Without question, Fury is an entertainer. In this press conference alone, he played the role of fighter, caped crusader, as well as journalist, asking random people in the room, "Who here thinks I won't send Wladimir into retirement? What round?" No surprise, Fury got the answers he wanted when three people in the room shouted, "He's getting knocked out." Klitschko took the antics all in stride, smiling and playing up to the audience at what Fury declared, "The Tyson Fury Show". He did not seem at all effected by the boastful claims of the charismatic challenger. Instead, he made reference to Fury as a "clown", which riled Fury to the point where he took off his jacket and wanting to fight before he was held back by his father. "I have a lot of friends from the circus industry. It's very tough to make people laugh. If I call you a clown, it's a compliment," remarked Klitschko with a little smirk on his face.
Regardless of your feelings about either fighter, this will no doubt be an intense, intriguing, and entertaining build up with a total contrast in personalities. The wiley veteran Klitschko, who is no stranger to pre-fight antics, seems to be unfazed so far. What will see from Tyson Fury next?