Tyson Fury says his fight with Deontay Wilder 'is not a racial war'

• Tyson Fury said this week that Saturday's heavyweight championship fight against Deontay Wilder "is not a racial war."
• Fury was speaking at a press conference which Business Insider attended, and he appeared to answer a question directed at Wilder.
• A reporter asked Wilder if he was looking to create "a big moment in black history" as February is Black History Month.
• Wilder said they picked the wrong month to have the fight as he was looking to make a black history trivia question.
• Fury then said he refuses "to go into any sort of thing about it … this is not a racial war."
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LAS VEGAS - Tyson Fury has said his fight against Deontay Wilder on Saturday "is not a racial war."

Fury challenges Wilder for the American's world title, the WBC championship, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena this weekend.

But at Wednesday's press conference, which Business Insider attended, Fury said: "I'm not into all this racial thing with a black man versus a white man in Black History Month.

"I will refuse to go into any sort of thing about it. We are two human beings, two heavyweights, at the top of our game. This is not a racial war. This is two heavyweight boxers going toe to toe for all the jewels in heavyweight boxing, nothing more, nothing less."

Fury appeared to be answering a question which had been directed to Wilder, who fought Fury to a disputed draw in 2018 having knocked him down twice but appeared to have been outboxed in many other rounds.

The combat sports editor for Sporting News and DAZN, Andreas Hale, asked Wilder if he was looking to create a "big moment in black history."

Hale said: "In the first fight, you went viral … now, this is Black History Month. Are you looking to make a big moment in black history come February 22?"

Hale's question is significant because, if Wilder wins - or draws - he would extend his WBC title reign to 11 successful defenses which is one more than Muhammad Ali, who made 10 defenses of the WBA and WBC titles from 1974 to 1978.

Ali, of course, is a cornerstone of black history. He has a dedicated page on the Premier Boxing Champions website, celebrating him, and his role, in Black History Month, from his athletic successes in the ring, inspirational political activism outside of it, and his public triumphs later in life despite being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

To Hale, Wilder said: "They picked the wrong date, the wrong month for this fight to happen. And when I knock the Gypsy Queen out, we gonna have a black history trivia question - spread it all over the world."

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