Tyson Fury, the self-proclaimed ‘Gypsy King,’ is no stranger to controversy, but his latest comments to ESPN might just take the cake. With his fight against the UFC heavyweight beast turned boxing newbie, Francis Ngannou, set for October 28th in Riyadh Saudi Arabia, and live on ESPN+ PPV, Fury decided to throw a pathetic jab outside the ring by stating that Ngannou is more dangerous than Oleksandr Usyk. Oh, the noise this has made!
Seriously, Tyson? To say Ngannou is more dangerous than Usyk in the boxing ring is like saying my Chihuahua is more dangerous than a lion because he barks louder. Cute, but laughably delusional.
Speaking to Mike Coppinger of ESPN, Fury said: “A lot of people are on about this undisputed fight, fantastic,” said Fury, ESPN’s No. 1 heavyweight. “But I have a much more dangerous person to deal with on next Saturday than I do after for the undisputed fight, I believe.
“Because Francis is a bigger man, stronger, more powerful and has knockout capability. As we’ve seen with Oleksandr Usyk, he doesn’t really do much damage to people he hits. So you could probably let Usyk punch you all about the head and he’ll give you a black eye. If you let Ngannou punch you all about the head, he’s probably going to rattle your brain for you.”
Usyk is currently the former undisputed cruiserweight world champ and WBO, WBA, and IBF heavyweight champion and he didn’t get there by playing patty-cake. So, for Fury to suggest that a boxing greenhorn like Ngannou is more of a threat? That’s not just a pot stirrer; it’s a full-on industrial food processor.
Let’s compare Fury’s latest fights: First, there’s Dereck Chisora. Now, Chisora’s had more comebacks than Cher. Fury facing Chisora for the third time was less of a fight and more of a “Blast from the Past” event, boring boxing fans to death. Sweetie, if we wanted to watch reruns, we’d just scroll through Netflix.
Then there’s Dillian Whyte. Oh, Dillian, bless his heart, stepping into the ring against Fury with all the ferocity of a man who knows his best fighting days are visible in the rearview mirror. It’s like Fury is trying to rack up safe wins, dusting off fighters who’ve already had their heyday. Come on, Tyson, why not just throw a boxing-themed retirement party?
But hold up, let’s contrast this with Oleksandr Usyk, the Ukrainian warrior who’s been rewriting the script in the heavyweight saga. Usyk has been serving lessons left, right, and center. Not content with just being the undisputed cruiserweight champion, Usyk sauntered into the heavyweight scene and did the unthinkable — not once, but TWICE. He schooled Anthony Joshua, a prime, buff, and in-his-element champ, with the ease of a professor teaching Boxing 101. And the rematch? Usyk turned Joshua’s playbook inside out, leaving him crying and more puzzled than a toddler with a Rubik’s cube. It wasn’t just a win; it was a systematic dismantling, a calculated humiliation, an artful mastery of pugilism.
While Fury is busy with his online monologues and twitter knockouts, Usyk is letting his fists do the talking. No unnecessary chitchat, no social media theatrics. He steps into the ring, gets the job done, and then, maybe, just maybe, posts a serene picture of the landscape or a philosophical quote. It’s as if he’s following the age-old mantra: Actions speak louder than tweets.
Fury decided to dismiss Usyk, a certified boxing genius, in favor of hyping up Francis Ngannou, yes, Francis Ngannou. Is it confidence, arrogance, or a clever ploy to inflate the fight’s significance and rake in those PPV dollars?
We’re onto you, Tyson!