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Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder 2: Briton looking beyond world titles to secure legacy and resemble Muhammad Ali’s era

Fury is attempting to win the world heavyweight title for the second time of his career

Jack Rathborn
Thursday 13 February 2020 10:01 GMT
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Tyson Fury says 'not a bother' to beat Deontay Wilder

Tyson Fury insists he is looking beyond world titles and is now solely focused on his legacy, which is driving him to face the best in the world.

Fury will rematch Deontay Wilder for the WBC world heavyweight title a week on Saturday.

Should he win to deliver a definitive conclusion to the fight this time after the draw in the initial contest, it will crown Fury as a heavyweight king for the second time of his career.

But Fury is adamant he wants to continue facing the very best, hinting he will pursue a fight with Anthony Joshua, once he has satisfied his contractual obligations with Wilder.

“This is how we roll, I’ve always been that draw-the-line type of fighter, I never avoided a fight, I never look past fights, I always trained hard for the fights,” Fury told Andre Ward, who is working as a pundit for ESPN.

“Even today I’m ranked No 1 lineal heavyweight champion of the world, I beat the longest-reigning champion in our era [Wladimir Klitschko].

“I’ve had to go on the road to do it again, how many times must the Gyspy King travel? I know I’m a traveller.

“It doesn’t make a difference to me if I fight in somebody’s back yard or in my own country, I’m a fighting man, that’s what I do.

“I’ve got to do it again, back to the US to fight him [Wilder] again. They should do it, these fights should happen, whoever is the best in their weight should fight each other, and whoever is the best is the best.

“I’m not afraid of losing a fight, but the thing I am afraid of is not having the fights to define me as a person or a man.

Tyson Fury is chasing legacy-defining fights

“I could never look at my career and say, ‘I’m the best’, without fighting the best of my era.

“It’s alright being a world champion, it’s great, fantastic, congratulations, but I want to be considered the best fighter of my era, the best heavyweight of my time.

“Every great era has great fights and I believe today’s era is going back to the days of the seventies and eighties.

“Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, all those guys, we’ve got that crop of heavyweights today, and I believe this is going to be one of those heavyweight fights to remember, you have the Rumble in the Jungle, the Thrilla in Manila, these are the heavyweight fights remembered from back in the day.”

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