THERE was carnage at the first fight week event in Riyadh as John Fury, father of Tyson, was involved in a physical altercation with a member of Oleksandr Usyk’s team which left him with a bloodied face.
Both Fury and Usyk were conducting a number of interviews throughout Monday at the fight hotel in the Saudi capital ahead of their undisputed clash at the Kingdom Arena on Saturday night.
But things turned ugly when Fury Sr and a member of Usyk’s team went head-to-head in the middle of a crowded room. However, footage then appears to show John Fury’s head connecting with a different member of the Ukrainian’s team, later named as Stanislav Stepchuk, and the 59-year-old sustaining a cut in the process.
John Fury just HEADBUTTED one of Oleksandr Usyk’s team 🤯🤕🚨 pic.twitter.com/QbpwBmi8aj
— Mail Sport (@MailSport) May 13, 2024
His world heavyweight champion son Tyson, however, was not present during the incident and later left an interview, took one look at his dad and said: “What’s happened to your head you silly c***?”
The large room at the hotel was then flooded with members of both teams and cameras as members of Usyk’s team chanted the fighter’s name in the direction of team Fury.
Later, Fury Jr sat down with the British media to conduct a roundtable interview and was asked for his perspective on the situation. But the undefeated heavyweight insisted the moment was no distraction for him.
“I didn’t see anything,” he said. “I was in the room doing interviews for Sky Sports, but I’m not here for all that, I’m here to get the job done and go home and rest. It’s not a distraction.
“They do what they do, I’ve definitely seen worse than a cut on the head.”
John Fury explained the altercation and apologised for his actions. Speaking later to Boxing News he said: “Emotions are running high, men step to one another, and that’s what happens. It’s testosterone, isn’t it? And I’m full of it, from my boots to the top of my head.
“At the end of the day, if there’s a fight going, I’m there first. We live for it. Let me tell you, when you’re in John Fury’s face, and you’re not ready to have a go and give it your best shot, I’m going to be all over you. You’ve just seen that. I don’t care.”