Media day ahead of Tyson Fury’s huge undisputed heavyweight showdown with Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia this weekend descended into violent chaos on Monday after Tyson’s dad John was left bloodied having aimed a headbutt during an angry altercation with a member of Usyk’s team.
Footage circulating on social media on Monday showed John Fury squaring up to a person in Usyk’s entourage, Stanislav Stepchuk, during a heated exchange between both camps at the hotel in Riyadh where the opening media sessions of the week were taking place, and then throwing a headbutt that split the middle of his own forehead and left blood pouring down his face.
A maddened John Fury was then dragged away as the scuffle continued before having his cut attended to by another member of the Fury team.
More footage quickly emerged showing a bloodied John Fury screaming wildly at Usyk’s entourage and being restrained as they chanted the name of the reigning WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight champion in unison.
Another video on social media later showed Tyson Fury, who, like Usyk, was not present during the heated scenes, emerging through a door at the hotel in buoyant mood ahead of his press duties before seeing his dad’s cut, pointing and asking with visible surprise: “What's happened to your head you silly c***?
“How have you cut yourself like that?”
Speaking to IFL TV about the fracas, John Fury, sporting a pair of sunglasses, then said: “It’s the fight game, emotions are running high. I was sat there minding my own business, all I could hear was ‘Usyk, Usyk, Usyk’ and I’m going to stand up for my son.
“At the end of the day, he’s my son, he’s the best in the world and I want people to respect him and give him the credit he deserves as the champion.
“He’s the best in the world. When people start saying this and saying that... because when I was in amongst them, all I could hear was madness.
“Some little idiot come forward, I knew he was in my space. He got what he got and that’s the end of it. Happens every other week for me, that. Every day of the week.”
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He added: “Tyson and Usyk can say what they want to each other, they are the ones who are going to fight. But I don’t think anybody else has got the authority to call anybody else, do you?
“Because if one of my team was to insult Usyk, they would be sacked because they haven’t got the authority to do that. Leave the fighting men to fight.
“I’ve done what I’ve done, I’ve no complaints about anything. I am what I am, I’m going to defend my name with everything I’ve got.”
Speaking to Seconds Out, John Fury, with blood speckled down his ‘Gypsy King’ t-shirt, then apologised for his behaviour as he again insisted it had been motivated by his son being disrespected.
“Sincere apologies to everybody involved,” he said. “It’s just the way we are, emotions and tensions are running high.
“He was a very disrespectful fella, wasn’t he? Anybody knows, you come close in a fighting man’s space and you’re going to cop for something aren’t you? Or else there’s something wrong.
“People don’t understand, we are the real deal as fighters. Win, lose or draw, I’ve had a thousand hidings in my life, it doesn’t matter to me. But what does matter to me is respect for my son. And he wasn’t showing any of it.”
Asked what Stepchuk had said to him, he added: “He mentioned my son and that was it, so he had to have it. That was the way it was.
“I would say, but I can’t because it just makes it look like I’m being sour. But disrespect my boy, and I will die for my son. So you’ve got to put up with what happened.”
Stepchuk explained his version of events, via Seconds Out: “I didn’t touch him, he just exposed his mind and went crazy. If he gets mad only from shouting Usyk’s name, what will happen in five days?
“He thinks there isn’t respect because of shouting Usyk’s name, so maybe he is a little bit crazy.
“For his sake, [he shouldn’t] watch the actual fight because he could have an heart attack and finish in an ambulance.”
Fury Snr’s behaviour during fight weeks involving Tyson and brother Tommy have been subject to a lot of scrutiny in the past, including when Tommy Fury fought YouTuber KSI in Manchester back in October.
He threw a bottle at KSI during the build-up to that showdown, while later he attracted headlines for storming in and punching and headbutting a glass panel as the two fighters had their final face-off in a cage ahead of fight night.
John Fury also sparked a brawl at an August press conference held in advance of Tommy Fury vs KSI, smashing at tables and flipping them off the stage.
The undefeated Tyson Fury, who holds the WBC heavyweight belt, is finally scheduled to meet long-time rival Usyk at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena on Saturday night in one of the biggest fights in boxing history that will crown the first undisputed king of the sport’s blue-riband division since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in Las Vegas in 1999.
The long-awaited bout was originally due to take place on February 17, but had to be rescheduled after Fury suffered a nasty cut over his eye during sparring.
