Wladimir Klitschko, the first gentleman of the ring, has taken a giant step out of character by likening Tyson Fury to Adolf Hitler.
He also described the Englishman who ended his decade-long reign as world heavyweight champion as a mentally-ill imbecile. It was not so much a rant as his measured opinion of Fury as anti-Semitic, homophobic and sexist which Klitschko delivered in his Tyrolean mountain lair where he is preparing for their July 9 rematch.
The 40-year-old Ukrainian vows to ‘shut Fury down’ by beating him in his home town of Manchester.
But should he fail to reclaim his crown from the Gipsy King he urges the world authorities to ban Fury from boxing.
Klitschko endured without complaint all Fury’s insults and antics before their first fight in Dusseldorf. He tempered his opinions of Fury’s offensive views — which the Briton says are religion-based.
It is Fury’s remarks about Jews which he feels compelled to denounce in the strongest imaginable terms.
Klitschko says: ‘I was in shock at his statements about women and the gay community. But when he got to the Jewish people he sounded like Hitler. I am fighting a guy who can’t hold his mouth. He is an imbecile. Seriously. We have an imbecile as world heavyweight champion.
‘In this crazy world we live in we don’t need someone using this great stage to bring hate to the Jewish people. I cannot accept that. We are one society.
‘It puts our sport in the wrong spot. As champion he represents not only himself but so many other people, including all the fans of boxing.
‘When I beat him I will not only be doing Klitschko fans and boxing fans in general a favour but also the British fans.
‘We cannot have a champion who creates the friction which generates hate. After women, gays and Jewish people, what next?
‘He is probably mentally sick and either he needs to be shut up in the ring or suspended.’ Fears have been expressed for the post-boxing well-being of Fury, who tells of his own deep depressions and veers between delight at being world champion and despair at the thought of fighting again.
No sympathy from Klitschko, who says scornfully: ‘I am not buying any of that BS spewing out of his mouth. It is absolute, total nonsense. And we know it.’
Fury, despite having apologised for his more outrageous comments, still has many critics. But the voice of Klitschko, with his long-standing reputation for courtesy and restraint outside the ring, will be among those heard most loudly.
Nor does he subscribe to Fury’s view that Anthony Joshua, his fellow English holder of a world heavyweight title, is ‘a paper champion’.
Joshua picked up the IBF belt stripped from Fury days after he relieved Klitschko of his several titles. Klitschko says: ‘I did not get what the IBF were doing with one of the belts I had held so long. But am I angry about it now? No. I’m happy for Joshua.’
As Joshua prepares for his first championship defence — against Dominic Breazeale in London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night — Klitschko reveals: ‘I tweeted him when he won the title. I said, “Welcome to the world of challenges”.
‘That’s what it means to be world champion. But it’s good for boxing to have a young champion. It’s exciting for him and the sport.’
Will the two of them meet in a unification fight if Klitschko gains his revenge over Fury?
Klitschko says: ‘You never know what happens in the future. Nor can I think about it. My mind is entirely focused on shutting down Tyson Fury.’ – Daily Mail