Boxing superstars Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury are set to throw down once again later this year, seven months after the Ukrainian was crowned undisputed king of the heavyweight division.
The pre-fight press conference for their highly anticipated heavyweight rematch has just wrapped up at the stunning Guildhall in London; and it was certainly a rather unique watch with one-word answers, fancy dress costumes, and even a cheeky ‘tickle’ to round out the show.
Oleksandr Usyk shows up in ‘Hitman’ costume for Fury rematch press conference
In May of this year, Oleksandr Usyk was crowned undisputed heavyweight champion of the world when he came back from a tough opening stanza to wobble and then out-work Tyson Fury in what was a razor-close, but truly sensational, win for the Ukrainian.
With the rematch now set for December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the two boxing kings engaged in a rather unusual pre-fight press conference earlier today; with Oleksandr Usyk turning up in an ‘Agent 47’ costume from the hit video game series ‘Hitman’.
Not only had Usyk gotten into character by donning the iconic ‘Agent 47’ suit and shaving his head, but he also carried with him a military-grade briefcase that hilariously held a picture of him landing one of his patented overhand left hands on the ‘Gypsy King’.
Never one to back down from a joke, Tyson Fury would himself sign the picture and return it to the dominant 22-0 champion, with his trainer laughing as he noted “Tomorrow you will find this on eBay.”
Whilst Fury was happy to go along with Usyk’s ‘Hitman’ impersonation, that isn’t to say that the British superstar didn’t have an ominous warning of his own prepped and ready.
“I have to be a little bit more focused, and a little bit smarter if I am to get the victory,” acknowledged Fury, before pointing out that rematches throughout the course of his career have only ever gone one way.
“As it would seem, my rematches with people always end up [going] one way, I always end up knocking them out in the rematch – whoever I’ve faced before has always been knocked out… I’m envisioning something similar in this second fight with Usyk.”
Fury is right to point out that statistic; with three of his career rematches ending in a KO/TKO win – those being against John McDermott, Derek Chisora, and Deontay Wilder.
Fury will get the chance to put his hands on Usyk for a second time on December 21, although it appeared that the ‘Gypsy King’ couldn’t wait that long as he proceeded to tickle Usyk during the final face-off.
Usyk vs Fury 2 goes down live from the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia on December 21, 2024.