By: Sean Crose
Naysayers will be naysayers, but there’s little doubt last month’s Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder heavyweight title fight was one for the ages. After battling through two intriguing bouts, both men showed the world exactly what they were made of in their third go round. After over ten rounds of combat, Fury emerged victorious over his almost too game opponent by way of a thunderous knockout. It was undoubtedly an impressive performance. Now, however, there is word that Fury had actually fought Wilder while injured. “It wasn’t a boxing match, was it?” Fury’s father John tells iFL TV. “Because Tyson was very injured going into that fight.”
“He had to have chromosome injections in both elbows,” the elder Fury continues. “Both elbows is numb. He since had an operation….he was handicapped from the beginning.” Fury also went on to say he had genuine concern for his son leading up to the fight. The younger Fury first came down with Covid, then had to deal with health troubles concerning his newborn child. ‘I was trying to be positive,” the elder Fury recalls. “But in my mind I knew that truth that he was only fifty per cent of what he should be because he had too many problems. He had Covid in July when it was first meant to take place, then he had problems with his daughter.” Fury Sr goes so far in the interview as to claim his son “only had about three-and-a-half weeks to train for it (the third Wilder fight).”
Although, like all parents, Fury is biased in favor of his son, he makes it clear in the iFL TV interview that he believes it was Tyson’s heart and guts that led him to victory last month. “When I seen the look on his eye,” he says. “I just knew he wanted to seek and destroy. That’s what he did and believe me, it was exciting for the paying public, probably one of the most exciting fights you’ll see.” Still, Fury notes a bit of concern for the kind of war Tyson found himself in against Wilder. “It was a thrilling affair,” he says, “but it shortens careers, doesn’t it?”
For now at least, the focus is on another Fury. For Tommy Fury, brother of Tyson and John’s son, will soon be fighting the notorious Jake Paul for what will undoubtedly be a good amount of money and publicity. Time, of course, moves on. Still, Fury, like everyone else who saw his son battle Wilder that October night, probably knows some things are bound to stay in the memory.
“They couldn’t have trained for that,” he says of the war the two men conducted that night, “could they?”