Security had to be on their toes when Joseph Parker squared off with Hughie Fury for the last time before they share the ring with one another.
After both heavyweights successfully weighed in for the WBO title fight, they were instructed to go face-to-face for the photographers in attendance.
And with the opportunity in front of him, Fury wasn’t going to turn down the chance to attempt to get in the champion’s head one final time.
After an exchange of words, Fury gently shoved Parker away and it was then that members of both fighters’ teams became embroiled in a brawl.
It was handbags for the most part and the scuffle was quickly brought to an end but the melee served to add a further dose of intensity to the fight, Fury’s first for a world title.
“It is going to be a pleasure to perform for the first time in my home city of Manchester and I’m going to bring on the greatest performance of my life and bring home the title,” the undefeated Fury said after weighing in at 16 stone 10 pounds.
“You can look at my previous fights but you don’t see what is going to hit him. This is a different Hughie Fury – I’m so hungry and ready to put on a performance and when I say I’ll knock him out, I’ll knock him out.”
Defending champion, Parker, will enjoy a slight experience advantage over his 23-year-old challenger while he will also be the bigger man on Saturday night at the Manchester Arena, with the New Zealander coming in at 17 stone 7 pounds.
