Tale Of The Tape: Fury Goes Mute For Chisora Presser

By Terence Dooley 

Fans and journalists expecting verbal fireworks at today’s press conference for Tyson Fury’s rematch with Dereck Chisora witnessed an unexpectedly one-sided verbal encounter due to Fury’s decision to tape his mouth shut.  

Fury meets Chisora at London’s ExCel Arena on November 29th for the vacant BBBoC heavyweight title and Chisora’s EBU belt in a bout that also doubles up as a final eliminator for the WBO title held by Wladimir Klitschko.  Strong undercard action will be provided by another all-British match-up when Billy Joe Saunders defends his EBU Super middleweight belt against Chris Eubank Junior. 

It was the heavyweights who stole the limelight and raised a few laughs in the process during Monday's press conference.  Fury, 22-0 (16), had promised to do something special.  He made good on his pledge by turning up to the press conference wearing a piece of tape with ‘BBBoC ? ? ? ?’ written across it, a reference to his recent troubles with the Board, who fined him £14,000 and £1,000 costs earlier this month under Regulation 25 (misconduct) for his outbursts at a press conference in Manchester. 

As is always the case, the fine was paid into the British Boxing Board of Control Charitable Trust, but the 26-year-old clearly sees the funny side of the situation.

With Fury uncharacteristically silent, it was left to “Del Boy” to provide the quotes.  The 30-year-old Londoner explain the reason for his withdrawal from their scheduled July 26 meeting at Manchester’s Phones4U Arena.  "My hand (injury) happened in the last week of sparring," he explained.  "The physio told me it was cracked."

Despite Fury’s silence, a few questions were thrown in his direction only for the former British and Commonwealth champion to shrug them off.  "We’ve decided to tone it down a bit," explained Peter Fury, his trainer and uncle.  Mick Hennessy, who represents Fury, explained that the fighter is entitled to be himself, even if that means taping his mouth shut ahead of an event that requires a sound byte or two. 

Ironically, it was Chisora, 20-4 (13), who leapt to the Manchester-based boxer’s defence.  "If I was being charged what he's being charged, I'd do the same," he explained.  "We should put a wager on.  Will he keep the tape on for the whole eight weeks?"

Once the talk was over, and Fury had offered his round prediction using sign language, a one-fingered gesture, the two men played up to the cameras for a head-to-head that wasn’t quite as fiery as many would have expected, although Frank Warren saw the funny side of it and knows that Fury’s silence will provoke a lot of talk, which is par for the course when it comes to the controversial 6’ 9’’ contender.

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