An unmoved Klitschko hit back by labelling the Briton a “clown” heading for a career in the circus.

“I’m as confident of winning as waking up in the morning and putting my shoes on,” said Fury.

“That’s how this fight’s going to go. A very sharp, easy, simple knock-out. There’s no doubt in my mind I can’t beat Wladimir Klitschko.

“I wouldn’t be the fighting man I am if I didn’t. He’s had all them defences, won all them fights, beat all them Americans, all them Europeans, but he ain’t beat me.

“You may have fought plenty of peasants in your time, from Poland or wherever, but you’ve not fought the king of the gypsies before. You’re looking at one here.

“You’re an old man, you’re getting knocked out. I can’t wait, I cannot wait for this.”

Like a professional public speaker, Fury, who left the press conference for a matter of minutes before re-emerging in a standard suit, apologising for being late and denying it had been him behind the famous black mask, also answered questions from friends and family positioned among the audience, including the round in which he expected to knock Klitschko out.

“Any round you want. What round do you want, sir? The sixth? Wladimir? I’ll put him the bed in the sixth round,” he said.

“Good job, Tyson Fury,” Klitschko responded, before adding, to the challenger’s obvious annoyance, that he would get him a job in the circus.

“I was not watching a lot of fights from Tyson Fury previously. I just started doing my homework, like I do for every fight,” Klitschko said.

“He said, ’If I lose this fight against Klitschko, I will not be in boxing any more’. Well I have a new job for you, buddy.

“I have good friends in Cirque du Soleil, they can give you a job as a clown. I’m telling you, not in an abusive way, I’ve a lot of friends from the circus industry. They’re clowns, it’s very tough to make people laugh.

“Calling you a clown, or having a good job at Cirque du Soleil in future, is a compliment. Watching this theatre, it’s in your genes, it’s there. Not every person has so much luck.”

Fury struggled to contain his anger thereafter, rising to his feet as fellow members of the travelling community, including his father, shouted over the top of the champion, who replied: “You need therapy, you need a therapist.

“You’re visiting a doctor right now, so calm down, sit down, and listen. I think I can make you a better person (by beating you). There is five weeks to go until the fight. My therapy has already started, on the 24th October it will continue.”