WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has claimed he was offered the chance to fight Mike Tyson in an exhibition bout.
Fury was apparently named after the American great, who is rumoured to be considering a comeback aged 53 and 15 years since ending a glittering professional career that saw him win the world heavyweight title on two occasions.
Speculation is persisting that Tyson could take on great rival Evander Holyfield, 57, for a third time, 23 years on since ‘Bite Fight’.
"I got a phone call asking if I wanted to fight Mike Tyson in an exhibition!" 😳 Tyson against Tyson for charity? 👀 pic.twitter.com/qDAIEkVxlB — Boxing on BT Sport 🥊 (@BTSportBoxing) May 26, 2020
Fury says he would welcome a meeting inside the ring with Tyson as he insists he would have no problems with either of the ageing superstars competing again.
“I had a phone call saying ‘would you like to fight Mike Tyson in an exhibition fight?’ I said ‘hell yeah’, but I don’t think anything’s materialised out of it,” Fury said in an interview with BT Sport.
“They’re both old now so they’re a bit long in the teeth but then who am I to say anything about what anyone’s capable of?
“I wouldn’t try to kill anybody’s dreams of doing anything they want if they’re both medically fit to fight then let them do what they’ve got to do. It’s their life, not mine.”
Fury was wary of speaking about his foes in the blue riband division because of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, he outlined his intention to fulfil his contractual obligation to take on Deontay Wilder in their trilogy fight once boxing gets given the green light to resume.
Only if Fury gets past his American rival would he countenance domestic showdowns against Anthony Joshua, holder of the other three major world belts, and Dillian Whyte, the WBC’s mandatory challenger.
Fury said: “I’ve got a rematch clause with Deontay Wilder, who apparently wants 10million (US dollars) to step aside, but I don’t think it’s true because I haven’t heard it from Deontay Wilder.
“But the fact of the matter is I wouldn’t give him 10 quid, I’d rather punch his teeth in for a second time.
“After I beat Deontay Wilder, I’m going to fight Joshua for all the belts. And after I beat Joshua then I’ll probably have a rematch with him, give him another chance to get his belts back.
“Then, and only then, may Dillian Whyte get a chance at fighting me. But there’s no fights happening, especially with me at the moment. There’s no point trying to call me out because it’s ridiculous.”
Boxing will initially have to return behind closed doors, a prospect that would not satisfy Fury, who added: “I don’t think any of the big fights can happen without a crowd.
“If I was going to do a big fight in an empty hall or in someone’s front room, back garden or wherever, it wouldn’t feel like it was a real fight, it would feel like a training session.
“I’m not sure how it would all pan out. I don’t think I could do it but never say never.”
