Tyson Fury refuses to face-off with Oleksandr Usyk and sends 'prayer' message

Tyson Fury shied away from an intense face-to-face showdown with Oleksandr Usyk following Thursday's press conference for this weekend's upcoming undisputed heavyweight world title battle.

The face-off that was to take place in Saudi Arabia, the venue set to crown the first-ever holder of all four heavyweight belts, experienced its share of drama as Usyk kept his cool while Fury, cheered on by a group of travelling Brits, appealed to the crowd instead. Despite facing Usyk, the reigning cruiserweight champion, Fury kept eye contact to a minimum.

Usyk showcased his artistic side during the concluding press conference with a penned poem whereas a stoic Fury refrained from indulging in any question-answer session. "I'm going to make this short and simple," he stated, "I'm ready for a fight, whether it's tough or easy, I'll be ready. God Bless Usyk, I'll say a prayer for him that we both go home to our families in one piece because that's what it's all about."

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Usyk's team had earlier raised concerns over the state of the ring's canvas. Both competitors tested the ring on Wednesday night, with the savvy Ukrainian southpaw starting the mind games by switching to an orthodox stance.

A member of his team later voiced unease about the condition of the canvas' seams and how they might trip one of the heavyweights during the fight, reports the Mirror.

Usyk refrained from commenting on the issue, instead stating: "I'm excited and I'm grateful for this fight to be happening. Let's make history. "Tyson, let your hands talk in the ring." Usyk suspected that Fury is feeling the nerves ahead of their bout, as suggested by his leaner physique, although the Brit brushed off any speculation about him hitting a career-low weight for the high-stakes fight.

"I'll tell you my weight, it's about 19-stone. I wish I was [240/250lb] but I'm around 19-stone. I've been in good shape, I've had two or three camps back to back. People say to me all the time 'You're looking skinny' but I'm weighing the exact same on the scales I've been using for the last 10 years," he said.

Fury's recent body reveal didn't go down well with fans, as critics advised him to 'lose the love handles', despite appearing fit. Fury will have a significant size advantage over Usyk, who has consistently weighed in at around 220lb for all five of his heavyweight fights since graduating from cruiserweight.