December 20, (THEWILL) – Heavyweight boxing champions Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury engaged in an intense 11-minute face-off during Thursday’s press conference in Riyadh, setting the stage for their highly anticipated rematch.
The confrontation between defending champion Usyk and British challenger Fury remained silent for several minutes before escalating into verbal exchanges.
Fury, who suffered his first professional defeat to Usyk in May, maintained an unusually serious demeanour throughout the event at VIA Riyadh shopping centre.
“Talking’s been done… I’ve talked and joked all my career,” Fury stated during the press conference. “This time I’m serious. I’m going to do some damage here, on Saturday night.”
The British boxer, holding a record of 34-1-1, aims to reverse his split-decision loss from their previous encounter.
Usyk, maintaining his characteristic composure, dismissed the theatrical nature of the press conference.
Through his promoter Alex Krassyuk’s translation, the Ukrainian champion simply stated, “Now we have just a performance, those cameras, lights. Everything’s going to take place on Saturday night.” The undefeated Usyk enters the bout with a perfect 22-0 record.
The Kingdom Arena contest carries significant financial implications, with British media reporting a prize purse of £150 million ($190 million).
Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion who successfully transitioned to heavyweight, expects to receive the larger portion of the purse.
The event takes place in Saudi Arabia, which continues its substantial investment in international sports events.
The nation’s involvement in major sporting competitions has drawn attention to its human rights record, with critics questioning the motives behind these investments.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
