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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Matt Majendie

Tyson Fury accuses Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk of ‘a big lack of balls’ after fight talks collapse

Tyson Fury has accused Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk of “a big lack of balls” for their failure to fight him.

It was confirmed in London on Thursday that Fury will defend his heavyweight titles against Derek Chisora on December 3 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The fight was made after a bout against Usyk was ruled out by the Ukrainian because of injury and latter talks over a possible fight against Joshua collapsed.

Fury said: “You’ve got so-called top guys in the division – big fights but no smoke. I offer it to Derek Chisora, boom, he’s sat here opposite me.

“The man’s got balls. Today there’s a big lack of balls. Chisora goes to war and we’re going to get a war.”

In another bizarre press conference between the pair as has been the case in their previous two heavyweight bouts, it covered everything from herpes to bipolar, and also included a threat from Chisora on stage to ring rival promoter Eddie Hearn.

Fury also waved around £10,000 in cash he said he had received from Frank Warren having won a bet with the promoter that Joshua would never go ahead with their planned fight.

Chisora is seen as a warm-up for Fury to take on Usyk in late February/early March with that bout expected to take place in the Middle East. And Fury predicted he would win both.

He said: “I can beat anybody in the world. There’s nobody that can touch me. I’m in a league of my own. Derek’s done very well against Usyk. I rate Derek Chisora as highly as I rate Usyk.

“I will train as hard for Derek as I would for any man in the world. I will not underestimate Derek. I prepare correct and I prepare hard. But I will do what [Kubrat] Pulev, Usyk and [Joseph] Parker couldn’t do. I will knock him out.”

For his part, Chisora claimed he had been gagged as part of contract talks which will see him earn a reported £2million for the fight.

But he said: “I want to take what’s his and make mine. I can’t box him. I have to go in there and take physically what’s his and make mine.”

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