A bare-chested Tyson Fury was denied the opportunity to face off with Deontay Wilder after the rivals engaged in an X-rated slanging match.
The heavyweights came face to face for the first time since June when Wilder refused to answer questions from the media.
On that occasion the pair faced off for six minutes before Wilder eventually broke his stare.
But as tempers raged last night, promoter Bob Arum intervened to abandon plans for another staredown.
Wilder, dressed in a red tracksuit, had his headphones clamped over his ears as he entered stage left.
Fury, meanwhile, paraded one of his trademark snazzy suits emblazoned with pictures of his belt as he opted to remain on his feet.
And while the jovial Brit paid close attention to his opponent's answers, a more serious Wilder busied himself on his phone while Fury spoke.
The previously mundane press conference burst into life when Fury made his closing remarks as both men promised violence.
"Get ready for war, this is going to be an amazing fight," Wilder said. "I'm wearing my red outfit so I want blood."
Fury retorted: "He says he wants to do bad things to me and hurt me but those who hold hot coal with the intention of throwing it are the ones who get burnt.
"He knows deep down he'll lose again and after this fight he'll be back working in a fast food shop.
"Everyone is laughing at him like the weak little bit of s*** that he is. I knocked you out dosser! You are a weak man and you are getting knocked out.
"I have come here looking a million dollars and you have turned up looking like a tramp.
"He is a lying little dosser and an insecure little s***. He has been done, beaten, busted.
"This little p**** got his ass handed to him twice and he can’t do f*** all about it."
Wilder's long reign as heavyweight champion came to an end at the hands of Fury last year.
Another defeat would surely send him closer to retirement but the former champion insisted he has nothing to lose in his first fight for 20 months.
"I'm in a great place and I'm in a great state of mind," he said. "I've got a lot of great people around me covering me all this time.
"There is nothing to prove, this is redemption, retaliation and retribution.
"My energy is like my mind, it's very violent and I'm ready to go. I've devoted a lot of my time, me and my team, I'm ready to reintroduce myself.
"There is no pressure on me. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain."
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Fury, who became champion for a second time with his victory last year, reiterated his belief that Wilder has struggled to come to terms with his first career defeat.
The American has constantly blamed everyone and everything but himself for his loss and has accused Fury of cheating by tampering with his gloves.
But Fury dismissed the allegations, saying: "I don't care because it's coming from an unwell person. He accused me of everything, he accused his team, his trainer, his suit and his injuries. It tells me he is a mentally weak person.
"All these fights are the same to me; I've got some guy trying to take my head off with punches.
"He doesn't matter to me, this is the Tyson Fury road show and it's been continuing for 13 years."
Fury also boasted of being the only man from the Fury-Wilder-Anthony Joshua triumvirate who remains unbeaten.
Joshua suffered his second career defeat by Oleksandr Usyk last month, and Fury added: "I'm the last man standing, I'm the one who has had all the problems and I'm still here and still undefeated."
