‘The curse has been activated’: Fans fear for Fury as rapper Drake sides with Brit ahead of Wilder showdown (VIDEO)

Tyson Fury fans are fearful of the so-called 'Drake curse' after the rapper threw his support behind the Brit ahead of his trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder – despite being on the wrong side several such predictions in the past.

Fury will look for his second straight win against the 'Bronze Bomber' late on Saturday night in Las Vegas and while travel restrictions from the UK means that the 'Barmy Army' will watch the fight thousands of miles away on their television screens, that isn't to say that Fury won't have the support of some famous names when the first bell rings.

WWE legend The Undertaker has already issued a message of support for Fury, apparently prompting the 'Gypsy King' to wear the wrestler's iconic wide-brimmed hat as a tribute but he has since been joined by Canadian rapper Drake – which is something which has led to some concern among the British boxer's supporters.

"This is a video for the most psycho man that I know. He's mad in his head, but he has the purest heart, nicest guy. The Gypsy King, the scariest man in boxing," said Drake of Fury in a video clip posted to his social media channels. 

"I'm wishing you the best of luck this weekend, brother. I want you to just go out there and continue the legacy.

"Do what you do. We all love you because you're relentlessly yourself.

"So go out there and get the work done and afterwards f*cking sing your heart out or say whatever the f*ck you want to say.

"Imma tell you, brother, we're all so proud of you. We love you. I appreciate you always staying in contact with me. I appreciate the encouragement, the inspiration. Yeah, man, I'm looking forward to seeing the end result this weekend.

"Wishing you the best, always. I'll see you on the other side. F*ck 'em."

Fury, who has also received good luck messages from the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, noted Drake's support and thanked him for his kind words on Twitter.

"Trust me Drake, once I’m done with him he’ll be running through Alabama with his woes!" Fury wrote. "God Bless You G."

Some fans weren't quite so on board with Drake's endorsement. The Canadian star has garnered an unfortunate reputation as being extraordinarily bad luck for any fighter of sports team he notes his support for online, leading to what some describe as the 'Drake curse'.

And before accusations of this being an overly-superstitious narrative are flung about, first consider the evidence: Drake took a photo with PSG star Layvin Kurzawa shortly before his side lost their next game 5-1 in what was their biggest defeat in two decades.

He was also highly supportive of UFC star Conor McGregor prior to his bouts with Floyd Mayweather and Khabib Nurmagomedov (and we all know how those particular fights ended up).

There are several more examples (Sergio Aguero missing a Champions League penalty after meeting Drake is another), but perhaps the most concerning one for Fury fans is the photo that he took with Anthony Joshua before his first fight with Andy Ruiz in the summer of 2019.

"Bout to break the curse," Joshua wrote of the picture. (Spoiler: he didn't.)

The Drake Curse isn't infallible, however, after Drake himself declared it null and void when the Toronto Raptors, a team for whom Drake is an official ambassador, won the NBA Championship in 2019. 

But given the curse's reputation, one would have thought that Fury wouldn't be of the mind to invite more bad luck into his camp – but that is exactly what some other fans are saying of him after being pictured wearing a Versace robe similar to those worn by both Conor McGregor and Jorge Masvidal prior to their defeat to Mayweather and Kamaru Usman respectively. 

Regardless, Drake's involvement in the fight is enough to have led to some fans questioning if the writing is now firmly on the wall for a Deontay Wilder victory.

"Drake curse has been activated, Tyson fury is losing," wrote one.

"The odds are stacked against Fury. He's got the double whammy of the Drake curse and the [Versace] robe curse going into this fight," added another.

"Why Drake gotta do this before the fight. Drake curse in full effect again. Pain," said a third.