Wilder vs Fury 2: Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder banned from facing off at weigh-in for rematch
Written by News on 21/02/2020
Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder have been banned from having a face-off at the weigh-in for their rematch in Las Vegas after clashing at a press conference on Wednesday.
Wilder (41-0-1 41KOs) will defend his WBC heavyweight title against Fury (29-0-1 20KOs) on Saturday in a rematch of their controversial draw from 2018.
The pair were separated by security guards after shoving each other at the final press conference for the fight and the Nevada State Athletic Commission has banned the fighters from facing off at Friday’s weigh-in.
“The Commission wants to ensure the fight goes off without a hitch,” said Evan Korn, media relations director for Tyson Fury’s US promoters Top Rank.
Promoter Bob Arum, who guides Fury’s career in the United States, understands the decision and believes the altercation was damaging for the image of boxing.
“We had a face-off at the press conference and these guys, they don’t want to hurt each other obviously before the fight, but they start pushing each other and they’re not actors,” Arum told Sky Sports News.
“They’re not trained, it can get out of hand and somebody can get hurt.
“Also, it sends a real bad image. When you have a press conference over in the UK and it’s like a football match, do the players push and shove each other? Of course not, they’re sportsmen.
“The same thing with American football, the same thing with cricket, the same thing with rugby. Why in boxing do we tolerate this kind of nonsense?
“It really demeans the sport.”
(c) Sky Sports 2020: Wilder vs Fury 2: Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder banned from facing off at weigh-in for rematch
