I Picked Klitschko. A near prime Klitschko annihilates Fury. Fury avoided the contracted rematch with Klitschko like the plague. Didn't pick anyone against Wilder. So what?
Of course he respects him he’s just on a wind up as usual. How are people not used to this sort of stuff from him now?
He's terrified of Usyk and recognises him as a real threat. He also knows Usyk isn't the least bit scared or intimidated by him, and will not be psyched out by any of his mindgames, which is a huge part of his overall strategy in the build up to a fight. He won't have any edge on fight night, and he can't rely on his skill and size alone to win him the fight, since Usyk outskills him and is clearly the fitter man.
As others have said, it’s just talk to hype the fight. If you do some research, you’ll see that Tyson has a HUGE amount of respect for Usyk. He knows for sure that Usyk is a great fighter with great skills. He will tell you himself that stylistically, his biggest challenge to date was against Steve Cunningham. It’s quite difficult to see Tyson being genuine in interviews etc, but they’re out there if you look. Most of what he says shouldn’t be taken literally, and it’s surprising how many people buy in to what he’s saying. All this talk of Usyk being a bum and a MW is to create interest and attract attention. I’ve been following Tyson since 2007 and I have great knowledge and a great interest in his family heritage etc. Trust me when I say, that Tyson knows that Usyk is a great, great fighter.