It wouldn’t have been a successful press event in the eyes of Tyson Fury if he didn’t steal the show and overshadow his opponent Francis Ngannou.
The Gypsy King was escorted to the ring by the 11-man team that helped him behind the scenes in the build-up to this weekend’s fight.
He booped his head to the sound of the drum and base blaring out of the speakers and called for the crowd to hype him up as he approached the ropes.
As he stepped into the ring, the crowd expected the usual display of jabs and hooks, but what they got was a slightly different version of the Gypsy King.
With a mischievous glint in his eye, Fury started to move to the beat of the music being blasted around Saturday night’s venue.
Tyson Fury took part in an open workout ahead of Saturday’s fight vs Francis Ngannou
Fury enjoyed himself as he hit the pads before entertaining the crowd with dance-off
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The Gypsy King’s footwork mimicked a youngster taking to the dance floor for the first time but it was clear he was enjoying himself.
‘I showed the best version of me, and if he can deal with that, best of luck to him,’ he said.
‘I was in there floating like a butterfly. Nineteen stone, can you believe that? And 6-foot-9. And moving like that! That’s shocking. It’s not fair, really!
‘It’s happening. He’s the bull, I’m the matador! 99.999 percent of the time, the matador wins!
‘Francis Ngannou is a big, fat sausage. That’s why he won’t take his top off. He’s embarrassed of his body. If it was up to Francis, he’d fight with his t-shirt on. Facts!
Fury’s trainer Sugar Hill was bewildered at first but it didn’t take long for him to join in. The pair were seen going toe-to-toe in a dance battle before clinching and tussling with each other in front of the cameras.
After dancing around the ring for a couple of minutes, Fury took to the corner for some water. He took a casual sip, swirled it around his mouth and sprayed it into the air.
It was after that Fury decided to begin boxing. Switching regularly between an orthodox and southpaw stance, Fury showed off his quick footwork and thudding power.
He looked focused and committed to the drills being deployed by Sugar Hill – leaving the ring dripping in sweat.
Meanwhile, Ngannou – who has never competed in an official boxing match – focused solely on power.
The former UFC heavyweight champion stayed close to his trainer Dewey Cooper and prioritised uppercuts and left hooks.
Asked if he had felt disrespected by the boxing community ahead of his debut in the ring, Ngannou replied: ‘To be honest, I haven’t gotten any respect from the boxing community, so I am not expecting anybody to respect me. I think I need to claim my own respect,’ he said.
‘Respect is not given. You don’t just walk out there and demand people to respect you for no reason. I think respect is earned, whether it’s the boxing community or life in general.
‘Yes, I am going to fight, and if that big shot comes, it comes. If it doesn’t come, I really intend to fight properly.’
Fury poses with his team ahead of his crossover bout with Ngannou on Saturday
And the Cameroonian insisted that ‘anything is possible’ ahead of his boxing debut against the reigning WBC heavyweight world champion.
‘Anything is possible. It’s possible,’ he said.
‘Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. In fact, see how we are talking about Tyson Fury? Who would’ve believed that a couple years ago?
“I was having fun. I almost wanted to just dance. Then I realized that I would show them my dance skills. And I was like, ‘nah, I don’t have any!””
Those ringside were a little disappointed not to see Mike Tyson in the ring with Ngannou, but it won’t be long before they are reunited.
Ngannou will be looking to make a statement on Saturday night, but he will have to deliver a performance of a life time.
Ngannou cut a focused figure but fans weren’t convinced by his show of boxing skills
Ngannou is a massive underdog against the heavyweight champion of the world
However, fans aren’t convinced he’s capable of doing so after witnessing him at the open workout.
One fan took to social media to say: ‘Those first couple of straights he threw, he really loaded up and telegraphed them.
‘That will leave him very susceptible to Fury, the brief combination looked decent towards the end though but he doesn’t have that much speed especially with the power punches’.
Another added: ‘Why does his jab looks so weak and floppy’, while another said: ‘Tyson Fury is going to end this fight inside three rounds.’