Tyson Fury has backtracked over his comments labelling Oleksandr Usyk a ‘midget’, as the Gyspy King now claimed the Ukrainian is bigger than boxing greats Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali.
Fury had thrown down the gauntlet to Usyk after he defeated Derek Chisora with ease at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
Following the fight, the pair had furiously faced off inside the ring ahead of a possible unification bout next year, with Fury unleashing an x-rated rant on his potential opponent who was in attendance in north London.
‘Eh rabbit? Usyk you are next. Me and you next. You’re next. Rabbit! 15st little midget bodybuilder. Well I ain’t a bodybuilder, I’m going to write you off.
‘I already done one Ukrainian in Wladimir Klitschko didn’t I? And I’ll do you as well, gappy teeth.
Fury and Usyk are expected to face off in 2023 to crown boxing heavyweight division’s first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis.
However, on Thursday the Gypsy King seemed to backtrack from his comments on Saturday calling Usyk a ’15st little midget bodybuilder’, and insisted that the Ukrainian’s size should not be held against him.
“He beat a big guy before, AJ – 6ft 6ins – I’m not that much taller than him,” Fury told talkSPORT.
“I’ve been searching the world, I’ve travelled all over, to find a challenger who can beat me, and I can’t find one.
“Usyk’s about 6ft 3ins and just under 16 stone. He’s a pretty big boy, he’s a lot bigger than Muhammad Ali was back in the day.
“He’s bigger than Evander Holyfield, he’s bigger than Mike Tyson, he’s bigger than Joe Frazier, he’s bigger than Ken Norton.
“He’s probably the same size as ‘big’ George Foreman. Everybody used to say ‘big’ George Foreman, now they’re saying ‘little tiny’ Usyk at the same weight and size.”
Usyk, whose record stands at 20 wins and zero losses, with 13 of these fights being knockouts, is listed as 6ft 3ins and typically weights around 220 lbs for his bouts.
Talks for Fury vs Usyk have begun, with reports stating the fight may be held in March or April 2023 – although the Gypsy King’s revelation that he will have to undergo elbow surgery following his bout with Chisora could delay the highly-anticipated fight between the two heavyweights. –Mailonline