The retirement U-turn that has cut up the Fury household: Tyson Fury’s determination to field once more has been ‘troublesome’ for Paris, ‘destroyed’ his relationship with father John… and even Tommy would not need him to battle!
It seems Tyson Fury is aligned with Gary Neville‘s idea that holidays are simply ‘mini retirements’ after reneging yet again on his vow never to step back into the ring.
This Saturday will be the fifth time the Gypsy King has returned having insisted he was finished with professional fighting – swearing off the physical and emotional strain it causes him and his family.
It’s why this time around his U-turn to lace them up again at 37 and face the dangerous Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has enraged and upset his nearest and dearest.
It is a personal conflict within the Fury family first brought to light last month by Daily Mail Sport’s Charlotte Daly, when his father John admitted the relationship with his son was ‘completely destroyed’.
John will not be in attendance this weekend, is vehemently against Tyson boxing again and feels strongly that the former heavyweight champion is a shadow of his former self.
‘My relationship with Tyson is destroyed’, he told Playbook Boxing. ‘Boxing destroyed it completely. I’ll say it on camera: I’ve never taken £10 off him in my life and I never will.
Tyson Fury’s return to the boxing ring has split has family, with his father John (left) saying it has destroyed their relationship completely
The Furys with six of their seven children as part of a promotion for the Netflix series At Home With The Furys – wife Paris does not want her husband to fight again
‘I don’t want Tyson’s money and I don’t need Tyson’s money. Whatever he’s got, good luck to him. But, don’t forget who built his story when he was a kid. He didn’t build it himself, did he? Me, his father.
‘I was 30 seconds away from asking for a break there. I haven’t really expressed these emotions before but they’re strong and they’re there.
John went on: ‘I think he’s past his best. I’m a no-filter kind of guy – I say it how I see it. I love him, but there are too many people patting him on the back and telling him things that aren’t true, building him up like he’s invincible. He’s not and he hasn’t been for a while.
‘Tyson has been gone since the Deontay Wilder fights, they finished him. Wilder completely done him. He’s not got a leg underneath him. He’s took a lot away from Tyson. Makhmudov is a problem for Tyson. I am the first one to say it.
‘Listen, I understand now that Tyson is testing himself. But, I can tell you now, his legs aren’t there anymore. I understand the only way he will believe that and see that is when the first bell rings.
‘Tyson was a formidable man, but when you fight one of the hardest punchers in boxing history three times, it takes something out of you that you never get back. You can’t refill that tank to what it once was. And every shot he took matters.
‘Don’t forget, in the last fight he went down four times- huge, heavy punches. He fought his heart out, went to the absolute limit, and gave everything he had to get that knockout. But when he got it, he had nothing left afterwards.’
The emotional patriarch then added: ‘If you can’t show your father respect when it matters, then just carry on,’ he says. ‘I don’t need you.’
The Gypsy King will take on Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
‘He’s taken their word over mine,’ John says. ‘And that’s eaten me up, more than I can explain.’
John’s view is one mirrored by Tyson’s wife, Paris, with whom he shares seven children.
Paris sees no sense in her husband risking his health for money that will in no way materially change their lives.
But their relationship is not under threat of breaking down over the conflict, as with John. She has seen this all before, many times and appears jaded but reluctantly accepting of her husband’s need to scratch the fighting itch.
The 36-year-old childhood sweetheart of the British boxer said: ‘I kept suggesting to him, “why don’t you train people as a boxer? Why don’t you get involved in something that you enjoy?”.
‘He doesn’t have any hobbies. And it’s hard to take away someone’s life’s passion, and I couldn’t be the one to do it.’
She added: ‘I said to him so many times like, “oh, I wish you’d stop boxing now, you’ve done everything you need to do. You don’t need to do it anymore”. But he felt that itch, and he still wants to do it. So I’m not going to deny him that dream.
‘He couldn’t find anything else good. No matter what we did, we couldn’t find him something he enjoyed. It’s hard. It’s hard work, a one-track mind with him.’
His eldest daughter, Venezuela added: ‘I don’t think he ever retired.’
Love Island star and fellow boxer, Tommy, Tyson’s younger brother is also against the return to action.
‘I think if you asked any one of his family do we want to see him keeping boxing the answer would have been an all around “no”,’ he told Bloody Elbow.
‘That’s all the way around the board because we care about his health.
‘Obviously you guys are fight fans you love to see him in the ring because he brings that entertainment. But we think of his health and everything like that so listen, he’s decided to keep fighting, it’s Tyson who is a fighting man who loves to do so.
‘But I guess time will tell and I think he definitely still has it in him because he wouldn’t be getting in that ring if he knew he didn’t.’
He continued: ‘I think it’s going to be a great fight. I think he probably could have picked an easier fight to come back against.
‘He’s massive, he’s a man mountain with a knockout ratio and power and he’s been in some big fights before.’
So, what does the man himself have to say about it all?
Speaking to Charlotte Daly 22 days after the interview with his father made headline news, he was measured and forgiving.
‘I just take his comments as those of a concerned parent,’ he said. ‘My dad wanted me to retire six years ago; after a while, he said even two years would have been enough.
‘You’ve done unbelievable. You’re a two-time heavyweight champion, you’re undefeated, you’ve got millions in the bank, you’re in one piece – what more is there to prove?
‘But it’s not about proving anything. I’m not here on Saturday night to prove anything to anybody. I’m not here for money – although, of course, money is always good; everyone wants a bit more, that’s always great. But that’s not really why I’m here.
‘It’s about doing something I love, something I’ve loved for what feels like an eternity. Growing up, I always wanted to be the heavyweight champion of the world, and I became that. I’ve won every title there is to win in boxing. So for me, at this stage of my career, it’s not about belts, it’s not about money – it’s not about any of that.
Tommy Fury is another family member wishing Tyson would hang up the gloves for good
‘It’s about the love of the game and the love of this fight business that I’m in. For someone who’s 37, who’s achieved everything and is financially secure, to still want to put themselves through the pain and torture it takes to get into fight shape – 16 weeks away from the family, 16 weeks of getting punched, running, training, and everything else – you have to truly love the game, and I still do, very much.
‘As for the naysayers who say, “Oh, he might be finished,” then obviously I want to prove them wrong. But more than that, I just want to enjoy it, have fun in there, and do what I’ve always done – enjoy it and have fun.
‘I feel absolutely fantastic, fully rejuvenated, and I’m ready to put on a show, as always.’
Bullishly confident as ever, Fury is only contemplating victory but defeat would in all likelihood lead to another declaration of retirement.
It would be exactly what his family want – whether they’d be fooled for a sixth time is another matter entirely.
