Tyson Fury

There is no denying that Tyson Fury is one of history’s most colourful heavyweights. At 6ft 9in tall and upwards of 250lb you could also argue that this is a man who could have been competitive in any era. He produced one of the biggest overseas wins in British boxing history by dethroning the great Wladimir Klitschko in Germany but his comeback story after going off the rails in the wake of that victory was even more impressive. He worked his way back from depression, alcohol and drug abuse, suicidal thoughts and a lifetime heaviest weight of 28st to reclaim the world heavyweight title in a comeback story fit for Hollywood. And if that wasn’t enough, he and his family featured on a Netflix smash called At Home With The Fury’s.

It is said that Tyson Luke Fury was so small when he was born three months prematurely in Wythenshawe that his father, the former professional heavyweight Gypsy John, could hold his son in the palm of his hand. The date was August 12, 1988 and world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was at the peak of his powers, which prompted his parents John and Amber, both from the Irish Traveller community, to name their newborn son after the man from Brooklyn.

Tyson left school at the age of 11 to work alongside his father and his three brothers. By then he had already been boxing for a year and was starting to take the sport more seriously, under the tutelage of his dad.

Fury represented the Holy Family Boxing Club in Belfast and also Jimmy Egan’s Boxing Academy in Wythenshawe. He won the English novices by beating Anthony Simpson in May 2006 and followed it up by winning the 2006 Chemnitz City Cup via a victory over Paul Mueller the following June. Fury lost to David Price in the ABAs that year but did take bronze at the AIBA World Youth Championships. Then, in 2007, he won the EABA EU Youth Championships, stopping Istvan Bernath in the final but was beaten by the Russian Maxim Babanin in the final of the EABA European Youth Championship two months later. In 2008, Fury won the senior ABAs at super-heavyweight, beating Damien Campbell 19:1 in the final but was overlooked for the Olympics with Price getting the nod instead. Disillusioned with amateur boxing, the 20-year-old decided to turn professional instead of waiting around for London 2012.

Although Tyson Fury’s life has been a rollercoaster outside the ring during his years as a professional, nobody could beat the two-time world heavyweight champion until his 36th fight, when he dropped a split decision to Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

After winning the senior ABAs in the summer of 2008, he turned professional that year with promoter Mick Hennessy. And, within just eight months of his debut, the 20-year-old surged to 7-0 with all of those wins coming inside the first four rounds.

Tyson Fury vs John McDermott

After making such a fast start to his professional career, Fury got the opportunity to box for the English heavyweight title in only his eighth fight against the 25-5 ‘Big Bad’ John McDermott on September 11 2009. After 10 rounds, it looked like the railway worker from Basildon, Essex might have done enough to put the skids on Fury’s fast start to life as a professional. However, Fury maintained his unbeaten start, and picked up the English title, when referee Terry O’Connor scored him a 98-92 winner after 10. 

Tyson Fury vs John McDermott II

Given the controversial nature of Fury’s victory over McDermott, there was a natural clamour for a rematch. After winning the first fight at the Brentwood Centre, Fury beat Tomas Mrazek on points just two weeks later before stopping Hans Joerg Blasko in the following March. Then, on June 25, 2010, Fury and McDermott met again and this time there would be no controversy as the undefeated ace dropped his opponent three times en route to a ninth round stoppage win.

Tyson Fury vs Derek Chisora

His victory over McDermott in the rematch was an official eliminator for the British heavyweight title and, in July 2011, Fury finally got the chance to fight for the Lord Lonsdale belt when he faced Dereck Chisora for the first time. The Finchley heavyweight was 14-0 at the time but had no answer for Fury, who handled his first 12-round fight with aplomb at the Wembley Arena. Judges Phil Edwards and Ian John-Lewis both scored it 117-112 while Richard James Davies had it 118-111, all in favour of Fury, who also claimed the Commonwealth title.

Tyson Fury vs Steve Cunningham

After claiming the British, Irish and Commonwealth heavyweight titles, it was time for Fury to try and crack America. However, he nearly came unstuck during this infamous clash with Steve Cunningham at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Fury’s trainer and uncle Peter had not been able to travel to America due to Visa issues and his nephew made a nightmare start when he was dropped in the second round before he was deducted a point for a headbutt in the fifth. However, Fury rallied to drop and stop Cunningham in the seventh round to avoid disaster in New York.

Tyson Fury vs Derek Chisora II

A little over three years after their first fight, Fury and Chisora got it on again at the ExCel Arena, London in a final eliminator for a crack at world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. But after winning a competitive first fight, Fury was even more dominant in this return and forced a gun shy Chisora into a 10th round retirement on November 29, 2014 to set up a long-awaited showdown with Klitschko. Fury also won the European heavyweight title by virtue of his victory. After the fight, Fury roared: “Wladimir Klitschko, I’m coming for you baby.”

Wladimir Klitschko vs Tyson Fury

On November 28, 2015, Fury secured one of the best away wins ever by a British fighter by claiming a unanimous decision victory over Klitschko at the Esprity Arena in Dusseldorf. Klitschko was on a 22-fight winning streak which stretched back 11 years and Fury was a wide outsider with the bookies when he arrived in Germany. But he made a mockery of the odds by totally nullifying the Ukrainian and controlling a reasonably dull fight. Cesar Ramos and Raul Caiz both scored him a 115-112 winner while Ramon Cerdan had him 116-111.

Tyson Fury vs Wladimir Klitschko II

This was the rematch that never happened. Fury and Klitschko were supposed to meet in their contracted return on July 9, 2016 but an ankle injury to Fury meant an initial postponement, with a new date of October 29 then pencilled in.  However, just a month before the new date, Fury again pulled out because he was deemed ‘medically unfit’ to fight, although no further details were disclosed. “Tyson will now immediately undergo the treatment he needs to make a full recovery,” his promoter Hennessey Sports announced “We and Tyson wish to express our sincerest apologies to all those concerned with the event and all the boxing fans who had been looking forward to the rematch. Tyson is understandably devastated by the development.”

2016 UKAD Charges

In August 2016, Fury was charged with a doping offence by the UK’s anti-doping body UKAD. It was revealed on June 24, the day Fury pulled out of the initial rematch with Klitschko, that UKAD had suspended the heavyweight. But Fury, 27 at the time, insisted he would sue UKAD over their claim with reports claiming he had tested positive for nandrolone during a urine test in February 2015. His cousin Hughie was also charged. A UKAD spokeswoman said: “UK Anti-Doping can confirm that both boxers were charged on 24 June, 2016 with presence of a prohibited substance. The UK Anti-Doping Rules allow athletes to challenge the imposition of a provisional suspension and the independent National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) today lifted the athletes’ suspensions, pending full determination of the charges. These charges will be heard at a hearing before the NADP in due course.”

Then, in December 2017, nearly 25 months after his victory over Klitschko,Fury accepted a backdated two-year doping ban, which allowed him to fight again once he regained his licence. Both he and Hughie insisted they had never knowingly or deliberately committed any doping offence and agreed to come to a compromise with UKAD. “Hughie and I have maintained our innocence from day one,” Tyson Fury said in a statement. “And we’re now happy that it has finally been settled with UKAD and that we can move forward knowing that we’ll not be labelled drug cheats. I can now put the nightmare of the last two years behind me.”

Vacating the World Titles

Fury had already relinquished the IBF heavyweight title when he decided to pursue his contracted rematch with Klitschko instead of facing his mandatory challenger. But it would not be until October 2016 that he vacated the WBO and WBA belts too. With the UKAD issue hanging over his head, a battle against drink and drugs ongoing and his status as ‘medically unfit’ to fight, he had no choice but to give up his remaining two belts. He said: “I won the titles in the ring and I believe that they should be lost in the ring, but I’m unable to defend at this time and I have taken the hard and emotional decision to now officially vacate my treasured world titles and wish the next in-line contenders all the very best as I now enter another big challenge in my life which I know, like against Klitschko, I will conquer.”

2016 BBBofC Suspension

The British Boxing Board of Control decided to suspend Fury in 2016 for ‘anti-doping and medical issues’ and pointed to Fury’s admission of cocaine use and mental health battles as their reasoning. But in January 2018, as Fury prepared to make his long-awaited comeback, the boxer met with the Board to reach an agreement on his future. According to the BBC, the Board decided to reinstate his licence once they received Fury’s up-to-date medical records. A statement read: “Following interview with Tyson Fury at the British Boxing Board of Control offices earlier today, the suspension of his British Boxing Board of Control boxer’s licence will be lifted subject to receipt and clearance of all medical requirements.”

Mental Health Issues

Fury has become an advocate for men’s mental health after his very public battle in the wake of his 2015 victory over Wladimir Klitschko. Fury openly admitted he abused alcohol and cocaine while suffering with depression which was punctuated by suicidal thoughts. He laid his struggles bare during an interview with Rolling Stone in October 2016. He said: “I’m going through a lot of personal demons, trying to shake them off, this has got nothing to do with my fighting – what I’m going through right now is my personal life. I’ve not been in a gym for months. I’ve been going through depression. I just don’t want to live anymore, if you know what I’m saying. I’ve had total enough of it. Never mind cocaine. I just didn’t care. I don’t want to live anymore. So cocaine is a little minor thing compared to not wanting to live anymore. I am seeing help, but they can’t do nothing for me. What I’ve got is incurable. I don’t want to live. All the money in the world, fame and glory, means nothing if you’re not happy. I’m seeing psychiatrists. They say I’ve got a version of bipolar. I’m a manic depressive. I don’t even want to wake up. I hope I die every day. And that’s a bad thing to say when I’ve got three children and a lovely wife isn’t it? But I don’t want to live anymore. And if I could take me own life – and I wasn’t a Christian – I’d take it in a second. I just hope someone kills me before I kill me self. I’ll have to spend eternity in hell. I’ve been out drinking, Monday to Friday to Sunday, and taking cocaine. I can’t deal with it and the only thing that helps me is when I get drunk out of me mind.”

2018 Return to the Ring

After reaching an agreement with the Board, Fury was relicensed and therefore clear to fight in the UK. In April 2018, Frank Warren called a press conference at a central London hotel, which was teased as a ‘major announcement’ with no mention of Fury. However, with the press packed into the room, Fury was unveiled as Queensberry’s latest signing on a multi-fight deal. Fury insisted he would be boxing three times before the end of 2018 with the date of June 9 slated for his long-awaited ring return.

Tyson Fury vs Sefer Seferi

On June 9, 2018, Fury made his long-awaited return to the ring, 924 days after his victory over Klitschko. His opponent for the 10-round clash with Albanian Sefer Seferi, who was 23-1 but had spent most of his career at cruiserweight. After losing 112lbs in the aftermath of his break from boxing, Fury weighed in 276lbs for the contest while Seferi was 210. After some early showboating, Fury was warned by referee Phil Edwards and the former world champion started to go through the gears in rounds three and four. Seferi quit on his stool between the fourth and fifth handing Fury a winning return at the Manchester Arena.

Tyson Fury vs Francesco Pianeta

Within four months of his victory over Seferi, an even lighter Fury was back in action against Francesco Pianeta outdoors at Windsor Park, Belfast. Fury weighed in at 258lbs, 18lbs lower than his previous outing while Pianeta was only slightly lighter at 254 1/2lbs. With a fight against Deontay Wilder mooted, the Alabama puncher was ringside for the fight as Fury beat Pianeta widely on points over 10 rounds. He said afterwards: “I think it was a calculated boxing performance. I got 10 rounds with a very tough man under my belt.”

Peter Fury

Fighting has been a family affair for Tyson, who trained under his father, John Fury, during his career, and he started his professional career under his uncle Hughie Fury. That relationship ended when Hughie tragically died in 2014 following an ongoing illness. Tyson had begun training with another uncle, Peter Fury, in 2012 and it proved to be a fruitful relationship.

Peter is credited with tightening up Tyson’s footwork, fitness and technical ability, while providing a calming head in the corner. Peter guided Tyson through a number of key victories, including the rematch win over Derek Chisora and his 2015 win over Wladimir Klitschko in Germany. By 2016, the pair had split as Tyson’s mental and physical health disintegrated. Neither side has unequivocally revealed the exact reasons behind a relationship breakdown later described by Tyson as “beyond repair”. 

Ben Davison

Tyson Fury teamed up with Ben Davison around October 2017 as he began to take his return to boxing seriously and had a lot of weight to lose. Davison worked with Fury for several fights, including the first Deontay Wilder contest, which ended in a draw, and the win over Otto Wallin, in which Tyson suffered a bad cut. In December 2019, shortly before the Wilder rematch, Davison revealed that the pair had split. 

SugarHill Steward

After splitting with Davison, Tyson Fury announced that he had joined up with Javan ‘Sugar’ Hill Steward. Former middleweight world champion Andy Lee was also now part of the training team. Initial indications suggest that Ben Davison was offered to stay on the team but declined, on good terms, as Hill assumed the role of head trainer.