Mick Hennessy at the press conference: “Why wouldn’t the Gloves arrive on time? This is the biggest prize in sport, heavyweight boxing. It’s a dream to be involved in this. Why wouldn’t they be able to turn it around? Will we have the ones we approved? He tried to get his hands used to them and he couldn’t. There’s a health and safety issue – the gloves have to be right for Tyson’s hands.”
Bernd Bönte: “The gloves you are talking about were protoypes and were sent to the fabrication in Pakistan or India from Paffen Sports, a well-reputed company.
“We hope that they are here on time.”
“We have a contract and we go with the contract. We will not discuss it in front of the media. Everything else will be organised and decided by the governing bodies at the rules meeting.
“Team Fury took five weeks to decide. I don’t know whether you have to be an amateur or a professional to take five weeks to decide. We should not discuss this here. It is your fault but it doesn’t matter – we will have gloves on Friday.”
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Tyson Fury has threatened to pull out of Saturday’s heavyweight title fight with WBA/WBO/IBF champion, Wladimir Klitschko, unless a ‘glove row’ that has developed ahead of the contest is settled in time.
Fury is contractually bound to wear the Klitschko-selected, German-made, Paffen gloves for the fight, and after being sent a test pair he claimed were damaging his thumbs, a second test pair was then provided that the Brit deemed more suitable.
However, the manufacturer has yet to confirm whether they will be able to produce a fight-night pair in time to replicate the 2nd design Fury was sent, a situation that has provoked the ire of the Brit to put it mildly.
“There’s a ruckus over the gloves,” Fury said. “I mean this: If I don’t fight in the right gloves, then there’s no fight. I’m in Germany, in the town he picked, wearing the make of gloves he wanted.
“He’s had it all his own way in every single aspect and all I ask is that I’m treated fairly and to wear gloves which fit me, for the sake of my hands. Because this is not my last fight. After I knock him out, I’ll have other fights and I need my hands for my trade.
“I just want a normal glove. I either get the gloves I want or there’s no fight. Alternatively, we can do it bare-knuckle.”
Fury claims he is also being backed in the dispute by the British Board, and won’t find out whether the suitably sized glove can be provided until Friday’s fighter’s meeting, though he is clear on what will happen if they can’t be replicated in time.
“You don’t get your gloves in advance so I won’t know until the rules meeting after the weigh-in whether they are ready.
“If I get the gloves with the big thumbs? It’s a no-go area. I’m not fighting in them. Because even if I throw a jab, I’m going to dislocate my thumb.
“If there are no gloves there is no fight. It’s not rocket science. It’s like coming into a ring with no shoes on. It’s not going to be sanctioned. I would definitely not go back on this.”
Twitter @undilutedpoison
