TYSON Fury says he feels no different about fights now than he did as a young up-and-coming boxer. Currently training for the biggest scrap of his life, after losing his unbeaten record to Oleksandr Usyk in a May thriller, as he approaches 40, the self-proclaimed ‘Gypsy King’ reckons a change of plan will see him exact revenge on December 21.
“I’m going to go in now with destroy mode. Last time I went to box him, and I was being cautious, and I was boxing [the] head right off him. Let’s talk facts,” buzzed Fury.
“Anyone can get caught, as we see in a lot of these heavyweight fights. But this time, I’m not going for a points decision. I’m going to knock a motherf****r out.”
Taking time out during camp to chat in the TNT Sports studio, Tyson agreed with boxing pundit Steve Bunce that he was now in shape, fit and eager to perform where it matters, despite the fight being almost three months away.
“I’m ready to rock and roll. Listen, I don’t need a 12-week camp. I’ve been boxing all my life. I’m ready to go tonight, tomorrow, next weekend, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday. It doesn’t really matter. I can come in the ring at 30 stone and do 15 rounds.
“I’m a natural at it. All I need is five or six weeks sparring, good sparring this time, where I’ve not got a cut that’s going to open up. We were worried about the cut so much in camp, because there was a massive payday on this cut. And the cut wasn’t even a factor in the fight.”
On the same week he admitted that his corner team would likely remain unchanged for the Riyadh rematch, Tyson, 36, comprehensively addressed the issue of the laceration that threw the first Usyk clash into initial turmoil, as recovery became a race against the clock.
“It was only three months, 12 weeks before, I had a 16-inch cut across my left eye, and that had to heal. I’m not sure how long it takes for a cut to heal. I mean, how long?” Fury quizzed Anthony Crolla for answers.
“It maybe took seven or eight weeks for the cut to try and heal up, and then another six, seven weeks training. But it’s always a risk of it opening up, and then you lose your big dough, do you know what I mean?”