Fury: My children will be at ringside so I’ll put on a show

Tyson Fury has revealed that his two eldest children will be ringside for the first time on Saturday, with the Briton hoping it does not jinx his unbeaten record when he defends his World Boxing Council heavyweight title against compatriot Derek Chisora in London.

Fury also outlined his dreams of a world tour next year, starting with the undisputed title contest against Oleksandr Usyk.

“Venezuela [13] and Prince [11] will be there, so I hope I don’t get chinned by Chisora,” Fury said. “It’s the first time they will have been live at one of my fights so I’m intending to put on a show. Let’s hope it doesn’t go wrong.”

At a press event to promote the meeting with Chisora at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, odds-on favourite Fury detailed his plans for a globetrotting series of fights – with Usyk in Saudi Arabia the most likely starting point.

Fury’s bold ambitions have the backing of veteran promoter Bob Arum, who invoked the precedent of Muhammad Ali. “We did that for Ali,” said Arum. “We did him in Japan, we did him in Malaysia, we did him in Indonesia. That’s what a true world champion does.”

Fury’s public pronouncements often need to be taken with a pinch of salt – as evidenced by his multiple “retirements” this year – but he sounded full of enthusiasm as he described his wish-list of venues.

“After I beat Chisora and after I beat Oleksandr Usyk next year, I’m going to go on a massive campaign all over the world,” said Fury at Spurs’ stadium, where organisers predict a 60,000 crowd.

“Emanuel Steward [the legendary trainer who worked with Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko] said this to me years ago ‘wouldn’t it be good if you had a heavyweight champion of the world who went to places no one else wants to go and gets the government to put the money up’?

“Like, go to Antarctica and put a fight on there! Go to far-out places, like one a month, like the Tyson Fury roadshow, bang, bang, bang. That’s what I want to do. Go to Australia, give one of their guys a chance. Go to China, give one of their guys a chance. Go all over. It would be fantastic, what a way to end a career.”

Fairy tales aside, the prospect of a Fury-Usyk meeting sounds increasingly realistic. Usyk will be ringside on Saturday, and is due to arrive in the UK today.

Alexander Krassyuk, Usyk’s promoter, confirmed: “There is only one thing pending and that is Tyson’s fight. Everything else is in place and we are ready to go. It is very likely it is going to be Saudi but, if not, we have many options to market this fight.”

Arum added: “I have talked to Tyson and he wants the fight. That will happen next unless Mr Chisora lands his punch. Usyk wants to do it before Ramadan [which starts on March 22]. They have an understanding with the Saudis. If the money they are talking about is real, then you have to do it there.”

Fury was asked whether his putative world tour could bring him up against Anthony Joshua. “I’m a prizefighter,” he replied. “I’m the highest-paid escort in the world. Where the money is, Gypsy King will travel.”