By Tim Parsons-
Tyson Fury says he is fighting for people suffering from mental health problems when he steps into the ring on Saturday. Fury weighed in at 19st 10lbs on Friday, making him four stones and nine pounds heavier than Sefer Seferi, and two stonnes from his weight when he beat Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.whom he whisked off his feet and cradled in his arms as if to labour the point. Seferi has knocked out 21 out of 24 of his opponents, but all at the lower cruiser weight division where he never had a world title. The heavyweight division is therefore new territory to Seferi. Fury has never been beaten, but comes in quite heavy for this fight after shedding off over 7 stonnes. said: “I’ve had massive support throughout all my troubles, everybody’s really been helping me and spurring me on.
“This isn’t just me and my team, it’s me and the whole nation. I seem to have everyone behind me and I’m coming back and fighting for them.I’m fighting for people who need inspiration and help – people who suffer from mental health problems as well.“It’s living proof if I can do it, then anyone can do it. To come from 27 and a half stone and to get to fighting level for Saturday night, then that is a statement, isn’t it.”
Fury said he selected the Albanian because he is dangerous for a comeback opponent. “If he has knocked out 21 men before, if he gets it on my chin he will knock me out too,” Tyson has said. “I look at SeferI like I look at Wladimir Klitschko, Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua, anybody. He’s a dangerous puncher.“I could have picked someone a lot easier than Sefer; someone to knock out in a round. But I need rounds.” Fury is on a mission to reclaim the world title belts he lost after defeating Wladimir Klitschko without being beaten in the ring.
“He is a dangerous puncher – 21 KOs. He is in good shape, he is a good looking man and he’ll be coming to knock me spark out on Saturday.
“We’ve all got the same number of chins. If he’s knocked out 21 men before, if he gets it on me he’ll knock me spark out too.
“I want to keep on going, win all my belts back and become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world again. It is my job not to let him do that.”
After Tyson Fury was stripped by the IBF for refusing a mandatory, he was later engulfed in dope allegations after he failed a drug test. Mental health issues followed, leading to a two year absence from the ring. In his absence, Londoner Anthony Joshua has risen in status, winning the IBF, WBA, WBO, and IBO belts, making it a long shot for Fury, who many feel have the skills to beat Joshua when the former gypsy king is ready for him.
The problem is that Joshua will continue to advance in experience and confidence, making the road back to the titles for Fury a big challenge in itself. Seferi weighed in at 15 st. 2 Ibs, slightly lighter than the 15 st.4 lbs Tony Bellew weighed in his shock victory against David Haye . Bellew has ridiculed Fury for claiming that he(Tony Bellew) was too light to share a ring with the former world champion, only to take on someone of Seferi’s size. It is a fight made to shake off the rust from Fury, but will be funny if it leads to an upset. Not likely, but with a puncher very light on his feet, like Bellew was, anything is possible. Tony Bellew will surely be waiting to go next as the second warm up fight for Fury if he wins. Fury is probably one of the biggest talkers in the heavyweight division, but has always backed his talk in all his 25 fights so far. He knows he eneds Anthony Joshua and Deontey Wilder on his record before his claims can be taken seriously. Beating even one of them will be the big difference.