This is an interesting promotional tactic.
Typically, pre-fight press conferences prominently feature posturing on the part of two combatants who claim to be in superior shape than his/her opponent.
But nothing typical happens when Tyson Fury is involved.
Wednesday’s press conference ahead of Fury’s rematch with former long-time heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko was certainly a memorable one as the undefeated Manchester fighter unloaded with a bizarre rant about how he hated training and boxing.
“They [legacies] don’t mean a lot to me,” Fury said. “Boxing doesn’t even mean much to me otherwise I wouldn’t go into camp four stone [overweight] every week having eaten every pie in Lancashire and drunk every pint in the UK.
“I hate every second of training. I hate boxing. I hate the lot. I hate speaking to you idiots. I’d rather be at home watching television with my kids and eating chocolate. I hate boxing but I’m just too good at it and I’m making too much money. Easy money to be made.
“People do these sports for different reasons. Wladimir is already a multi-millionnaire so it’s obviously something he loves to do. When you’re like that, you’re capable of anything.
“I don’t live a strict lifestyle. I don’t live an athlete’s lifestyle. You couldn’t call me an athlete.”
Then came the point that Fury, who beat Klitschko with a unanimous decision upset last November, ripped off his t-shirt and rubbed his stomach while taunting his Ukrainian rival.
“I don’t take boxing seriously, as you can tell. It’s about getting a few quid and putting food on the table. What’s the point in practicing your job for 40 years if want to see love-handles? Want to see a belly? But can I fight? Yes.
“I am really a joke aren’t I? When you think about it, it’s quite funny. Every single time, I’m the outlaw, the villain, the bad guy – every single media event. People obviously like to see that – the majority do.”
