Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk locked eyes for 12 minutes in one of the most intense face-offs in memory before nearly coming to blows.
The two boxers were appearing in a press conference ahead of their blockbuster fight on December 21.
Usyk beat Fury in the first fight earlier this year in May, becoming the undisputed world heavyweight champion in the process.
But Fury is desperate to reclaim his WBA, WBO and WBC heavyweight belts, though the IBF title is not up for grabs as Daniel Dubois possesses it.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk did not break their gazes for a lengthy amount of time
PA
Nevertheless, it appears revenge is more on Fury’s mind as a drab press conference ended intensely during the ceremonial face-off.
A far-cry from the first fight where Fury refused to look at Usyk, the two heavyweights locked gazes for a staggering 12 minutes.
The duo were dead silent as more and more entourage gathered around, causing some friction.
Eventually, Fury and Usyk started to trade jibes, starting off small before getting louder and louder.
Neither fighter appeared to back down and coaches and security intervened as the situation heated up.
The jibes turned into bellows and veins were seen popping out of Fury’s head, who was unusually subdued throughout the affair before the face-off.
With eyes popping out of both of their skulls, after nearly 15 minutes, the two walked away.
It sets the scene for what promises to be a tasty affair in Riyadh on Saturday night with two of the best heavyweights in recent times going head to head for a second time.
Tyson Fury glared Oleksandr Usyk down in their face-off
Reuters
The first fight went to Usyk only by split decision with the slimmest of margins separating the two boxers.
During the build-up to that clash, it was noted that Fury might have taken the Ukrainian too easily.
There are no fears of that this time, though, with the Gypsy King locking himself away in Malta training for this battle – refusing to speak to anyone, not even his wife.
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Oleksandr Usyk lifted his arms in victory after the face-off
Reuters
Meanwhile, Anthony Joshua’s boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has thrown his support in for Fury – his long-term rival.
He said: “This has been the most incredible year. It has been my most enjoyable year in boxing so far.
“The eyes of the sporting world will be on Riyadh on Saturday.
“I have a lot of history with Usyk but I’m backing Tyson.”
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