Tyson Fury has insisted he doesn’t care about where he is ranked by the four major governing bodies.
The charismatic star made a triumphant comeback in 2018 with most people believing he had done enough to defeat Deontay Wilder for the WBC title, the only world strap to elude the Brit.
While the rematch between the pair failed to come into materialize, the WBC has ordered Fury and Dillian Whyte to fight to determine the no.1 contender for Wilder’s title should Fury come through Tom Schwartz.
However, Fury was quick to remind everyone as to who the lineal champion was.
“I’m very unconcerned with rankings. Tom Schwarz is ranked above me. The rankings to me are unimportant,” he said. “I’m the lineal champion. I’ve got the status going back 100 years. The belt don’t mean nothing to me. As for the mandatory, I’d never box any of these men as their mandatory, not interested at all.
“I’d just like to clear something up,” he said. “Let’s rewind a few years to November 2015, there’s no doubt in anybody’s minds that Wladimir Klitschko was the undisputed heavyweight champion.
“When I kicked his ass, I became the undisputed heavyweight king.
“I trained hard for a fight and then put a ton of weight back on. Now I enjoy what I do, keep fit even when I am not boxing. I almost live my life as a routine training camp now.”
Fury will now make his Las Vegas debut against Schwartz on June 15 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The undefeated heavyweight star, who fights for the first time since signing a lucrative deal alongside Bob Arum and Top Rank, admitted he’ll be fulfilling a life-long ambition of his.
VEGAS
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Fury. “I have never been to Vegas. The big fights happen in Vegas. I remember waking up to watch Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather [in 2007] at the MGM. A lot of iconic fights have been there so for me to put my name down on that list is another tick off the list.
“I made a promise to myself when I was younger I wouldn’t go to Vegas until I fought there. Thirty years later I get the opportunity to fight on the biggest platform in the world.”
While his opponent hasn’t fought outside of Germany before, he is ranked inside the top.10 of the WBO and IBF rankings and remains undefeated from 24 professional bouts.
Speaking about his 6ft 5in opponent, Fury added: “He is hungry and ambitious, and I am sure he will come for a war.
“He is not ill-preparing for this and turning up for a paycheck. He is turning up to take the lineal championship of the world. It will be an epic fight – it’s Las Vegas, it’s showtime and I will look to put on an explosive performance in the States.”
