It might have improved pay-per-view sales but Tyson Fury wishes his pre-fight press conference melee with Deontay Wilder was avoided.
The stage was swarmed by several members of the fighters’ teams after the pair got too close to one another in the final press conference ahead of Saturday’s WBC heavyweight title fight.
A wayward finger from Wilder is what apparently sparked the fracas as ‘The Bronze Bomber’ made contact with Fury’s forehead, leaving a scrape which Fury was still sporting the next day when he spoke to the media.
Fury admitted that he came close to hitting Wilder but restrained himself and instead tapped the American’s shoulder as a warning.
“I am quite embarrassed by what happened yesterday,” Fury said. “It was unsportsmanlike conduct and for everyone watching around the world, it went off!
“I wasn’t proud of it and I’d like to take this opportunity to apologise on both of our behalves because I don’t think Deontay Wilder came in here and apologised but it wasn’t as a sportsman should be.
“It got out of hand. You had two undefeated fighters who want to win really badly.
“Deontay Wilder is obviously nervous and rattled and he felt like he had the need to get in my face.
“Do you know what? He was lucky I didn’t take his teeth out. He got up really close to me, in my face. I could smell his breath. I could feel the spit coming out of his mouth when he was screaming and ranting about rubbish.”
Fury has a theory that Wilder was attempting to goad him into throwing a punch in order to force the cancellation of the fight but ‘The Gypsy King’ would not rise to the bait.
Speaking in a media scrum on Thursday, Fury wondered out loud if it would have been considered self-defence if he’d given in to temptation and hit out at Wilder.
“I don’t want this fight not to be on,” Fury continued. “I’ve been waiting for this fight for years, since 2012. I picked Deontay Wilder as my third comeback fight.
“I believe that Deontay Wilder is looking for any excuse to get out of this fight, now that he knows it’s on him. But I’m not going to lose millions in fines for hitting Deontay Wilder and giving him what he wants. No way. I’m too clever for that.
Oh my, that face-off! 😳
It all kicked off on stage during the Wilder v Fury press conference… again!
Purchase #WilderFury by clicking this link ➡️ https://t.co/FV7Erw6XUX pic.twitter.com/bBx0SlX8kP
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) November 28, 2018
“This is the truth. I had my fist clenched and I was going to hit him. I was so close to throwing a left hook at his temple and I’d have knocked him clean out as well. And it would have went off.
“He had his few boys there but they’re not serious. I had my family there and we’d have done them in right then and there.
“Wilder’s brother was giving it the big one and was screaming and shouting trying to get forward. My brother threw two punches and he ran away.
“This is a serious thing to us. This isn’t playtime. We’re not here to act.”
Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury is live on BT Sport Box Office
