Tyson Fury is ‘Terminator’ but I will beat him, vows rising heavyweight Raphael Akpejiori

Nigeria’s Raphael Akpejiori holds an impressive record of 12 wins from 12 fights, all by knockout within two rounds

(Getty)

A rising former American footballer turned boxer has vowed to beat Tyson Fury and become heavyweight champion of the world.

Nigeria’s Raphael Akpejiori played basketball for the University of Miami before switching to American football and entering Miami Dolphin’s rookie training camp. But the 6ft 8in athlete then committed to professional boxing and, aged 31, holds an impressive record of 12 wins from 12 fights, all by knockout within two rounds.

Akpejiori takes on Colombia’s Santander Silgado in Miami this Saturday, but has his sights set on a bigger scalp.

“He is the man at the top and my goal is to go to the top,” Akpejiori said of the WBA, IBF and WBO champion Fury, speaking to Sky Sports. “It would take someone with my power. Not just my power, because he’s faced Deontay Wilder three times, and it hasn’t fazed him because he’s a master boxer.

“I have to develop a boxing skillset to be up to his par. My power along with that. We’re about the same height, I’m a little more athletic. I’ve played multiple sports and I can do anything with my body that I command it to do at any time.”

Raphael Akpejiori in action during his basketball days (Getty Images)

Akpejiori described Fury as a “Terminator” but said he would find a way to destroy the world champion.

“If I ever knocked Tyson Fury down, I will keep boxing like it’s the start of the round. It would be very stupid for me to go in there and start gassing myself with power punches, knowing the man in front of me is a Terminator.

“The Terminator will be beaten, that’s what I’m saying.”

Fury next fights fellow Briton Dillian Whyte in March, and should he come through that bout he would likely be free to fight the winner of the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Joshua’s recent conqueror, Oleksandr Usyk.