Tyson Fury has claimed he would have no trouble beating a prime Mike Tyson as he labelled himself the best fighter âin the last thousand yearsâ.
The Gypsy King is aiming to be crowned the the undisputed champion when he faces Anthony Joshua twice next year in a mouthwatering Battle of Britain.
Fury believes it is a question of when and not if he will get his hands on all four belts, and claims no legendary fighter could have stood in his way.
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Tyson Fury has labelled himself the best heavyweight boxer of the last thousand years
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The Gypsy King also claimed he would have no trouble brushing aside a prime Mike Tyson
The 31-year-old was asked specifically on whether he would have relished a scrap against Iron Mike.
And when asked who would win between the pair, Fury told Steve Bunce on BT Sport: âThere isnât a heavyweight from any era in the last a thousand years that couldâve tackled me or beat me.
âNever mind Mike Tyson from the 80s, Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Lennox Lewis, George Foreman, Ken Norton, Rocky Marciano, Floyd Patterson, Gene Tunney, Jem Mace, John L. Sullivan.
âGoing right back to the beginning, not one of them couldâve beaten the Gypsy King. Iâm too big, Iâm too good and Iâve got too many styles for them. Iâm an adapter and they couldnât even beat me anyway.
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Fury also believes that he would also be too good for greats such as Muhammad Ali
âIâm the greatest fighter that has ever lived. Never mind heavyweight, greatest fighter thatâs ever lived. How about that for a bit of modesty?!â
Tyson is expected to make a stunning return to the ring in an exhibition scrap at the age of 53, after the former heavyweight king shared another sensational video of himself hitting pads last month.
It comes 33 years after Tyson announced himself as a legend in boxing after being crowned the youngest heavyweight champion ever.
Meanwhile, Fury must still face a trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder after comprehensively beating the previously undefeated American to claim the WBC belt earlier this year, before he can face Joshua.
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Fury claimed he is too strong and would have too many styles for the likes of Lennox Lewis
Promoter Eddie Hearn has also called on the WBC not to crown a âfranchiseâ champion and to make him face his mandatory challengers, including Dillian Whyte.
Hearn told YouTube channel BoxingSocial: âWe donât want the WBC to make Fury âfranchiseâ champion.
âLet him take care of his mandatory just like Joshuaâs taking care of his.
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Mike Tyson shared another clip of himself training before announcing his return last month
âWe donât want to be elevated from âinterimâ champ. He wants to fight the champion, he wants to fight Fury.
âDillian Whyte actually has to take priority, in my opinion, over Anthony Joshua, to get that shot. We will do everything we can to deliver that.â
Joshua was due to face IBF mandatory Kubrat Pulev in London this summer before that was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Oleksandr Usyk is the No 1 challenger for the WBO and so Joshua may have a busy road to facing Fury.
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Fury must still face Deontay Wilder for a third time before two fights against Anthony Joshua
Usykâs promoter Alexander Krassyuk told Sky Sports: âUsykâs WBO mandatory had to happen before AJ vs Pulev.
âBut we were flexible and did not put much pressure on, allowing AJ to complete his IBF mandatory while Usyk fights Chisora.
âBut this was made with regards that the WBO champ (whoever he is after AJ vs Pulev) has to make his mandatory versus Usyk. It means that either Joshua fights Usyk first or fights Fury without the WBO belt.â
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Joshua was due to face IBF mandatory Kubrat Pulev before the coronavirus pandemic