The thrill of the unknown excites Fury
Briton looks forward to bout against Swede.
Tyson Fury admits he gets “turned on” by facing the unknown and that is why he will not underestimate Otto Wallin in their heavyweight fight in Las Vegas.
The Swede has a 20-bout unbeaten record, which includes 13 knockouts, but none have been anywhere near this level and Fury’s trainer Ben Davis said even he struggled to find footage of the unheard of 28-year-old.
Fury has taken the fight as stop-gap before an expected rematch against Deontay Wilder in February and while he knows little about his opponent that merely adds to the excitement for the Mancunian.
“But when you have the unknown that is more exciting.”
Comparisons have been drawn from Wallin’s compatriot Ingemar Johansson who 60 years ago shocked the world by upsetting dominant world champion Floyd Patterson in New York.
However, Fury insists that will not happen on Saturday.
“I’ve not overlooked him, I’ve been in America for five weeks training,” he added.
“The fact is I don’t under-estimate anyone. I give everyone the ultimate respect.
“Even if I am fighting a guy who has has 20 fights and lost 20 I will train for him like he has had 20 knockouts in a row because I never fail to prepare.
“I’ve trained hard for this fight. As hard as I trained for Wilder, as hard as I trained for anyone.
“The tallness, a southpaw, and a defensive fighter is always a challenge but I’ve never met a challenge I couldn’t defeat.
“I’ve never met a mountain I couldn’t climb, I’ve never met a man I couldn’t beat so he’s going to be no exception.”
“I don’t feel any pressure because they are only men with gloves on. I don’t feel pressure from any fight,” he told PA.
“It is going to be another Tyson Fury roadshow. It is going to be an entertaining fight, an exciting fight.
“I feel good, I feel fit, I’ve trained really hard. I’m in great shape and the weight is perfect. I feel sharp and rejuvenated and ready for a good fight.”
“They (the crowd) can expect a good boxer. I am well-schooled, I had a good background and I think I have what it takes to cause an upset,” he said.
“I haven’t been on this big stage in fights before but I feel like I am on this level and I am ready to prove it.”
Fury weighed in at 254.4 lbs (18st 1oz), the lightest he had been since he beat Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 (247lbs, just over 17-and-a-half stone).
Fury has embraced a Mexican theme since his arrival in the city as he fights on the country’s Independence Day weekend and for the second time this week appeared in a lucha libre wrestling mask.
Having stepped off the scales Fury then grabbed the microphone to say, in an faux American accent: “In less than 24 hours from now Otto Wallin will feel the fury.
“Bob, get the steel cage out Bob (veteran American promoter Bob Arun) so this bum doesn’t run away.”
