It’s been 22 days since my interview with John Fury went viral and today was the day I came face to face with Tyson Fury.
I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a flicker of uncertainty walking into the room.
Boxing is a small world, but it’s also a proud one. Words travel fast, and John’s words had travelled very far. His candid – and at times brutal – assessment of whether his son should even be returning to the ring had lit a fire across the sport. Inevitably, my name sat somewhere in the middle of that storm.
So yes, there was a moment, just before the door opened, where I wondered how this would go.
Would Tyson be annoyed? Cold? Distant?
The answer came quickly and emphatically.
Tyson Fury will return to boxing on Saturday night when he takes on Arslanbek Makhmudov
Fury spoke to me just 22 days after my interview with his father John went viral after he said that his relationship with his son was ‘destroyed completely’
Tyson killed the tension the moment I walked in. He met it head-on, making light of everything that had been said and written in the weeks before, with that familiar grin that tends to disarm a room in seconds.
‘I don’t hate you, Charlotte,’ he said jokingly while also acknowledging in his own way that his dad can be unpredictable with what he says. As far as he was concerned, nothing had changed.
And just like that, any doubt was gone.
So, with the air cleared, it felt only right to address it properly. I asked if he was comfortable speaking about his father’s comments.
‘I’m an open book,’ he said without hesitation.
For someone who has spoken so candidly about the darkest periods of his life – alcohol, drugs, depression – this was clearly not a subject he was going to shy away from.
And with that, we got into it.
‘I just take his comments as those of a concerned parent,’ Tyson told me. ‘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.
‘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’m really having fun in camp, and I feel like I’m back to my best. I honestly don’t remember ever feeling as happy in a camp as I have this time, ever. I don’t know what the reason is; maybe it’s Thailand. It’s such a lovely place and such a great, positive environment to train in. I think that’s had a lot to do with it.’
Fury killed any tension as he met me with that familiar grin that can disarm a room in seconds
Fury (pictured with me in 2023) was in fine form and ‘an open book’ across our conversation
John Fury had suggested that Tyson’s legs were gone, that he wasn’t the fighter he had been during the Wilder trilogy, and that perhaps the best days were behind him. Tyson wasn’t having it.
‘I’ll know straight away. On Saturday night, I’ll know within 10 seconds what I’ve got left. But, to be honest, I already know. Don’t forget, I’ve sparred 10-rounds, 12-rounds. I’ve done all the sparring with three or four different guys, and yeah, never lost a singular round in the gym, and I’ve put myself through hell and high water for this. So I’m really prepared for a war for 12 or a knockout in one either way. There is no truth in me being “done” or “finished”.
‘I just think I’m a different fighter from the Klitschko fight 10 years ago. I’m not trying to be the Klitschko-era version of myself; I’ve evolved as a fighter. I learned my lesson from that fight. In 2018, I fought Deontay Wilder when we were both in our primes. I was miles ahead on the scorecards, but I nearly got knocked out in the 12th round because I didn’t finish him. I was jibbing, jabbing, slipping, sliding – elusiveness, as everyone says. I invented that “derkey jerky” style. That was me.
‘Yeah, I could be 12 rounds up and still get caught in the final round. As soon as that bell rang, I knew how to beat Wilder: apply pressure, take the front foot, and do damage. And that’s exactly what I did in the next two fights, and in the many fights after that.
‘So my style now is to do damage while I still can, because I don’t want to be 10 rounds ahead and then lose by knockout in round 10. I’d rather go out trying to win by knockout myself. That’s not because I can’t slip, slide, and feint anymore – I can. But that stuff, it’s all right, it’s like a flicking contest. You’re not doing any real damage. It’s a 12-round fight every time, and I don’t want to go 12 rounds. I want a knockout.’
And while he acknowledges the inevitable wear and tear that comes with age, he refuses to see it as a limitation.
‘No fighter ever goes into a camp at any age, whether I was 27 or 37, and comes out completely unscathed. After 16 weeks of training, there are always going to be niggles, little injuries, and bits of wear and tear, but you learn to deal with them and just crack on. That’s it. My body is as good as it can be for boxing. Sure, there are always minor things, but nothing to complain about. I feel absolutely fantastic, fully rejuvenated, and I’m ready to put on a show, as always.
The Gypsy King revealed he took the comments of his dad as those of a concerned parent
Fury also insisted he is a different fighter compared to his bout against Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 but said he feels like ‘I am back to my best’
‘I’ve been fully rejuvenated over there [Thailand] with sunshine, great training facilities and great experience to be over there. And I’ve had such a fantastic training camp. By the time the fight comes around on Saturday, I’ve been in camp 16 weeks, which is one week for every month that I had out, which I thought was sufficient. Wow, yeah. 16 months out, 16 weeks of training camp.’
He chuckled when talking about what’s next after the fight. ‘I think a win over Arslanbek Makhmudov will send me straight back to the Isle of Man. Paris has got to be prepared. I’ve been away three months. She might need a wheelchair. Who knows?’
In Tyson Fury, there’s a rare mix of confidence, charm, and experience. He knows the whispers, the doubts, the naysayers, and he’s ready to meet them all in the ring, doing what he has always done best: fighting on his own terms, for the love of the sport.
Saturday night isn’t just another comeback fight. For Tyson, it’s a statement: the Gypsy King isn’t finished, in fact, he believes he’s just getting started.
