Neither of them had much to say at Thursday’s news conference as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk only had eyes for each other - staring each other down for an incredible 11 minutes and 20 seconds.
The extended face-off was one of the more eccentric moments at a pre-fight presser. However, this is boxing, and it's certainly not the first time that boxers have acted out before the fight as they seek to gain whatever advantage they can over their opponents.
Here’s a quick look at five other crazy pre-fight moments.
Mike Tyson bites Lennox Lewis
Mike Tyson was no stranger to pre-fight chaos, but things escalated to new levels at the 2002 press conference for his fight against Lennox Lewis.
The event descended into a full-scale brawl when Tyson charged at Lewis and amidst the melee, bit Lewis on the leg. The outrageous act shocked the boxing world and set the tone for an already highly-charged fight.
Additionally, WBC president José Sulaimán was knocked out during the brawl when he hit his head on a table. Just when things appeared to be calming down, Tyson then went on an expletive-laden rant, screaming at members of the audience.
Muhammad Ali’s rhyming taunts
Muhammad Ali was the king of pre-fight mind games using wit, humour, and sharp words to unnerve his opponents.
One of his most iconic pre-fight moments came before his rematch with Sonny Liston in 1965. Ali showed up at the press conference with a bear trap, claiming it was for Liston, whom he nicknamed ‘The Big Bear.’ His rhymes and antics didn’t just entertain — they got under his opponents’ skin, often giving Ali a psychological edge before the first bell even rang.
David Haye’s T-shirt stunt
Ahead of his 2011 grudge match with Wladimir Klitschko, David Haye upped the stakes with a controversial T-shirt showing him holding the decapitated heads of Klitschko and his brother Vitali.
The graphic design caused outrage, but Haye stood by his provocative choice, claiming it was all part of the pre-fight theatre. While the T-shirt incident happened in 2009 it took until 2011 for the fight to happen after Haye injured his back and the fight had to be postponed.
Much like Fury and Usyk on Thursday, at a press conference the duo also stared each other down for a lengthy three minutes – an event that led to a scuffle at the next presser when Klitschko's manager Bernd Bönte wanted to end the stare-down early.
Derek Chisora spits water at Wladimir Klitschko
The tension between Derek Chisora and Vitali Klitschko ahead of their 2012 fight boiled over in dramatic fashion.
It started at the pre-fight weigh-in when Chisora slapped Vitali in the face, a move that sparked obvious controversy. And he took matters to the next level after entering the ring ahead of the fight when he provocatively spat water in the face of Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali’s brother, as he sat at the ringside.
Ricardo Mayorga slaps Shane Mosley’s partner
Ricardo Mayorga was known for his outlandish behaviour, but he crossed the line ahead of his 2015 fight against Shane Mosley.
During a press conference, Mayorga slapped Mosley’s girlfriend on her backside, sparking a furious reaction from Mosley.
Commenting to the media after the incident, Mosley said: “I just can’t wait. I’m going to kill him. I’m going to get in the ring, go out there and beat him down. I’m going to go right for him and just start throwing punches.” In turn, Mayorga acknowledged: “With all due respect, I did it to get in her boyfriend's head because he's clearly very upset.”
Mosley was indeed upset, but he channelled his anger and went on to win the fight in style with the referee waving the bout off in the 12th and final round with Mayorga dripping blood and in bad shape.
Pre-fight moments like these are as much a part of boxing as the action inside the ring. Whether calculated mind games or impulsive theatrics, these wild antics often fuel the fire and add intrigue to the fights themselves.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk’s extended face-off may now join the pantheon of unforgettable pre-fight moments, further raising anticipation for their clash in Riyadh on Saturday.
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