Fight Talk: Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Oleksandr Usyk and more
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Briton Tyson Fury and American Deontay Wilder meet again on 22 February
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With less than six weeks to go until Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury meet again in the ring, the two heavyweights have come face to face for the first time since they fought to a dramatic draw in November 2018.
On 22 February, Briton Fury will again challenge WBC champion Wilder - this time at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
So what happened when two of the most outspoken and controversial characters in the fight game met at a news conference on Monday?
Well, Fury rocked up in this extravagant suit...
Once they settled into their seats, it was no surprise both fighters had plenty to say...
Wilder v Fury II: Pair trade insults at news conference
In a seven-minute monologue, Wilder described himself as "the lion... the king of the jungle".
The challenger responded by saying he would knock the American out in round two - then produced one put-down which went down very well.
He was also dismissive of fellow Briton Anthony Joshua, who holds the other belts in the heavyweight division...
Despite the brash talk and knockout predictions, some fight fans were underwhelmed...
'Tyson, don't cry'
Before sitting down with Wilder, Fury had a little pop at Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk.
It all started after promoter Lou di Bella shared a video of Uzbek heavyweight prospect Bakhodir Jalolov…
When WBO president Paco Valcarcel suggested Jalolov could fight Fury in the future, the Briton took a swipe at the governing body for making Usyk mandatory challenger for the heavyweight belt...
Usyk, never shy of the spotlight, responded on Instagram…
Klitschko 'knocked out Wilder in sparring'
Wilder, too, has had more on his mind than next month's rematch with Fury.
The 'Bronze Bomber' told ThaBoxingVoice podcast "no-one cares about" British heavyweight Dillian Whyte, who is mandatory challenger for the American's WBC belt.
A couple of days later, Whyte said he had seen Wilder get floored by former world champion Wladimir Klitschko in a 2014 sparring session.
"It wasn't no knockdown, he was knocked cold. Properly twitching as well," Whyte told Sky Sports., external
His comments sparked all kinds of reaction from boxing fans…
YouTubers Jake Paul and AnEsonGib set for bout
YouTubers' turning to professional boxing is now a thing.
After watching his brother Logan lose to KSI in November, American social media star Jake Paul will face Briton AnEsonGib in Miami on 30 January.
They will make their professional debuts on the undercard of WBO middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade's defence against Luke Keeler.
We're not sure about their boxing ability yet but they might need to work on the trash talk. In a video posted by promoters Matchroom, Paul made a playful grab at AnEsonGib's face and said: "Got your nose!"
Has Canelo hinted at a Billy Joe Saunders fight?
It's a fight that has been mooted for several years, but are we getting closer to seeing Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez take on Billy Joe Saunders?
There have been some encouraging signs, with WBA 'regular' super-middleweight champion 'Canelo' praising WBO champion Saunders.
"A fight between me and Billy Joe Saunders is a great fight - he's a great fighter," he told Ring Magazine., external
Saunders was below par in his last outing, a knockout win over Marcelo Esteban Coceres in November, and most fans can't see him beating Canelo…
But others think it could go either way…
And it's safe to say that this chap is definitely Team Saunders…
- Published7 December 2019
