Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury had to be separated after a war of words turned into a shoving contest Wednesday afternoon at a Los Angeles hotel, three days ahead of their heavyweight championship fight.
The two boxers faced off at the end of the final news conference for their pay-per-view bout Saturday night, which led to Fury ripping his shirt off and challenging Wilder to fight three days early.
Cooler heads prevailed a day earlier, as both undefeated heavyweight fighters on Tuesday visited local fire departments in Los Angeles to donate tickets to LA’s bravest to Saturday’s fight.
WBC heavyweight world champion Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs), who stopped by LAFD Station 3, reaffirmed his prediction of a knockout of Fury (27-0, 19 KOs).
“I will knock Tyson Fury out,” Wilder said. “It ain’t no ifs, ands or buts about it.”
On the other side of town, Tyson Fury visited the L.A. County Fire Department Headquarters donating tickets to firefighters as well.
If Wilder defeats Fury, it will be his most impressive victory of his career. When asked by amNewYork if a win over Wilder would rank as the best victory of his career, Fury didn’t think so.
“I don’t know about greatest victory, but I’ll view it as a very good thing, especially what I’ve been through, what I’ve come back from,” Fury said, referring to his history of drug and alcohol abuse that threatened to derail his boxing career.
“Is Deontay Wilder a better man than Wladimir Klitschko was? I don’t think he is,” said Fury, adding that Wilder’s willingness to take chances in the ring makes him a dangerous opponent but also vulnerable to getting hit.
