‘Tyson Fury stated there is no level trying again as he is left considering his future’
Tyson Fury once said there is no point in looking back.
Because we are all on a journey moving forward. Which is both true and fitting, considering Fury is now left contemplating what is next for him following the latest defeat of his long career.
The debate is raging as to who won the duel in the Saudi Arabian desert between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. The judges had no doubts, however, and handed an unanimous victory to Usyk, who remains the unified heavyweight champion of the world.
A decision Fury and his camp refused to accept. With a blatant contradiction of his own philosophies, Fury accused the judges of giving Usyk an early ‘Christmas gift’. “Frank had me three or four rounds up,” added Fury. That’s Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, who chimed in by insisting he had been left “dumbfounded” by the outcome.
It’s natural for emotions to run high in the aftermath of a sporting occasion like this one. And Fury will need time to take stock of where this loss leaves him. The immediate thought would be that Fury should now retire, rather than take on Anthony Joshua in boxing’s version of the Donkey Derby.
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He is 36, has a net worth of almost £50m, nothing left to prove and has now lost to the same boxer twice in the space of seven damaging months. He also has seven kids needing a father to look after them back at home.
But here’s the thing about turning your back on something you’ve invested so much of your life in. You get forgotten about. You become less relevant and lose focus, drive and ambition. A recent documentary to mark the 20th anniversary of England’s Rugby World Cup triumph back in 2003, highlighted all of the above in brutal fashion.
‘Unbreakable’ chronicled what had happened in the lives of some of those since that iconic achievement. All of them became sporting immortals, but some of them also went on to discover how mortal retirement had rendered them.
Steve Thompson is battling brain damage, while Phil Vickery has been through divorce and bankruptcy. But the saddest aspect of the film was how lonely and vulnerable some of these tough men had become. They not only lost touch with each other, but also themselves.
(Image: Nick Potts/PA Wire)
And this could well be one of the thoughts going through Fury’s mind, once he decides to consider what his own future might hold. Fury’s demons have been well chronicled. The self-proclaimed ‘Gypsy King’ overcame mental health issues so dark and depressing he became suicidal.
He came back from rock bottom to reach the very top. But he now finds himself on the journey back down, and without boxing in his life, it would be natural to fear for someone like Fury, considering how vulnerable he has previously been.
He has been a larger-than-life personality in British sport, let alone boxing. And not always for the right reasons. But sometimes there’s a lot to be said for just being normal, so perhaps Fury should have a go at leading a quiet life for the foreseeable.
(Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Yet even this might be easier said than done for someone like him. Which means that despite all his fights and ups and downs through the years, Fury’s toughest battle might still be ahead of him.
Super human Sinfield
Kevin Sinfield has become as well known for his fund raising, as his stellar career in Rugby League. And considering how much money and awareness he’s raised for Motor Neurone Disease, he deserves all the publicity he can get.
Sinfield’s super human efforts, on behalf of his close friend and team-mate, the late Rob Burrow, have become the stuff of legend. But let’s not forget there are also mere mortals out there who campaign and contribute to the fight against the cruel and incurable disease.
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People like Yorkshire-based filmmaker and photographer Johnny Carr. Carr, who lost his best friend to MND earlier this year, produced a giant black and white print of Wakefield band ‘Skinny Living’, signed by the group, to be auctioned off following one of their gigs last weekend.
Most people cannot do what Sinfield chooses to, because his runs go beyond what we consider normal. But like Carr has proved, everyone can still have a role in bringing MND to its knees.
To donate towards the print, please go to: https://giveasyoulive-emails.com
