Both competitors came in at the heaviest weights of their professional careers, with Fury tipping the scales at 125kg and Wilder coming in at 108kg.

Fury is making the first defence of the WBC title he won after dethroning Wilder as champion in February last year - both combatants' last fight.

This is their third fight after the first ended in a draw.

The standard practice after a weigh-in is for a head-to-head staredown between the fighters but it was confirmed that would not occur this timee, with Fury's co-promoter Bob Arum telling BBC Sport: "They are not animals, they are sportsmen. I think they are unnecessary, it dehumanises the fighters and I don't think it's good for the sport."

The fighters, who had a tetchy slanging match at the final press conference earlier in the week, taunted one another from across the stage.

Wilder said: "Calmness is the key to the storm. I know that when I'm not calm, my mind is cloudy and you make bad decisions. But when you're calm you can weather the storm, you're able to make great decisions.

"We have rejuvenated myself, reinvented myself, redemption is upon us and I can't wait to show the world what I'm all about. I'm reintroducing myself to the world as Deontay Wilder."

When asked what it means for him to be this heavy, a fired-up Fury said: "It means total obliteration of a dosser. Total annihilation. I'm going to put him in the Royal Infirmary after this fight, don't worry about that."

Wilder has employed Malik Scott as his cornerman for this fight. Scott is a former heavyweight who won 38 of his 42 fights although never challenged for a world title and was knocked out by Wilder when they met in 2014.

Fury added: "It's one s***house teaching another s***house how to fight. Both are a pack of losers and they both ain't worth a sausage. He couldn't teach him anything, the man couldn't fight himself, he was a s***house.

"There's a man here that's going to annihilate you, dosser. Me, the Gypsy King, Tyson Fury's the name and f****** fighting's the game."

TALE OF THE TAPE:

FURY:

Age: 33

Fights: 31

Wins: 30

KOs: 21

Draws: 1

Losses: 0

Rounds boxed: 193

Height: 2.06m

Reach: 216cm

Weight: 125kg

WILDER:

Age: 35

Fights: 44

Wins: 42

KOs: 41

Draws: 1

Losses: 1

Rounds boxed: 150

Height: 2.01m

Reach 211cm

Weight: 108kg

Australian Associated Press