An Uber ride with Tyson Fury

Ask Tyson Fury a question — any question — and he’ll answer it as bluntly as possible. It doesn’t matter the setting, the talkative heavyweight lineal champion never shies away from verbally letting his hands go. Back in June, Fury made his Las Vegas debut by stopping Tom Schwarz in two rounds. Leading up to this event, he delighted the media with his candor and outspokenness. He truly has the gift of gab.

That was certainly the case again on the night of Aug. 16. While in an Uber ride on his way to an Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills, California, he spoke on a wide variety of issues related to the heavyweight division and his fight against Otto Wallin on Sept. 14 on ESPN+.

On the other top heavyweights

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Tyson Fury discusses names who turned down the opportunity to fight him on Sept. 14. For more Top Rank Boxing, sign up here for ESPN+ https://plus.espn.com/.

About Deontay Wilder: He’s a big guy, strong, punches hard. Limited boxing ability, but makes up for all that with power.

Is Wilder the hardest puncher he has faced?

I don’t think it’s about the power, it’s the speed of the punch coming. Let’s face it, I was very inactive for a long time. It was the first time I’ve been punched properly in years, so maybe the shots that he landed on me, they wouldn’t even affect me today.

About Anthony Joshua: Just a big bum. He eats right hands for fun.

About Andy Ruiz Jr.: Just an average boxer. Hand speed doesn’t just cut it. There’s a lot of heavyweights who have hand speed. I can beat him with one hand tied behind me back. And even if they want me to stay against the ropes, I’d still beat him out there.

All these guys are bums compared to me. I’m going to prove that time and time again. I’m going to go down in history as the greatest heavyweight of all time.

About Luis Ortiz: [He’s] 147 years old. I think he may have been a good man 30 years ago. But he’s too old, he has no legs underneath him and Wilder’s going to knock him out within six rounds.

About Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller: I think he’s decent. I tried to get the fight with him, but they wouldn’t give him a boxing license. It would’ve been a good fight, a good fight for the people to get interested in because he’s got a big mouth and big ol’ body to hit. So it would’ve been an interesting fight for TV.

About Adam Kownacki: Limited, but he sells a lot of tickets with the Polish fans and so he’ll get a shot at the title.

About Joe Joyce: He’s ranked No. 1 in the WBA [as the WBA Gold champion], and what he has in stiffness, he comes back in determination and will, and the ability to keep coming forward and take punishment. I put him up there with anybody in the division.

About Daniel Dubois: I think he’s a big, strong guy. He’s unbeaten. What’s not to like? So far, so good.

On his biggest threat in the division

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Tyson Fury reveals that a rematch is set between him and Deontay Wilder for February 22, 2020 if they both win their next fight.

Probably Wilder, I’ve already fought him, I already beat him once (official result was a split draw). So that’s the biggest challenge that they have, I don’t see anybody else being much of a challenge, to be honest. Maybe Oleksandr Usyk, he’s an awkward-looking guy, southpaw, a unified [cruiserweight] world champion, an undefeated world champion. So maybe he can be next, toughest challenge.

On Ruiz-Joshua II

I think Ruiz will win again. He won’t be taking the fight on short notice this time and when you win a world title, you improve 30, 40 percent up on your last performance.

On Otto Wallin

I knew quite a bit about him because he’s a former European heavyweight champion, and obviously England’s based in Europe. He was a highly experienced amateur, he’s undefeated in 20 fights, southpaw, 6-foot-6, ranked No. 4 in the WBA, very highly ranked opposition.

He boxes well, he’s a slick southpaw. He’s been training in New York for two years with Joey Gamache, a former [two-division] world champion [at junior lightweight and lightweight]. He’s a big guy, he’s young, he’s ambitious.

Another thing, though, Otto Wallin is not my first choice of opponent. Kubrat Pulev turned this fight down. Alexander Povetkin turned this fight down. Charles Martin turned this fight down. Trevor Bryan turned this fight down. Ortiz is fighting Wilder, Ruiz is fighting Joshua. Dillian Whyte’s been popped for a drug test, Miller’s been popped for a drug test. Who else is there?

Maybe I should fight Chris Arreola, who had six or seven losses, or bring [former light heavyweight and cruiserweight world titlist] Tomasz Adamek [who once challenged Vitali Klitschko for a heavyweight world title] back from retirement, or even Vitali Klitschko, I don’t know. There’s nobody else to fight.

On the fight

I’m looking to have fun versus Wallin. It’s Mexican Independence [Day] weekend, I’m looking to fight like a Mexicano. (laughing)

On focusing on the fight when a rematch with Wilder is on the horizon

It’s not hard at all, because you’d have to be a fool to underestimate any heavyweight, especially with an unbeaten record.