‘I don’t get involved’ – Tyson Fury uncertain if dad John Fury will corner him for Oleksandr Usyk rematch
Tyson Fury is unsure if his dad will corner him for Saturday’s blockbuster rematch with Oleksandr Usyk. John Fury was criticised by fans and boxing’s elite for his involvement in a ‘shambolic’ corner showing during Fury’s fight with Usyk in May. Fury Snr was in his son’s corner for the first Usyk fightGetty Those voices included the likes of Ricky Hatton, who suggested along with numerous others that Fury should consider removing his father from his corner. ‘The Gypsy King’ was beaten via split-decision by the undefeated Ukrainian, but is now aiming to exact revenge on his first-ever boxing loss as their December 21 rematch nears. Usyk dropped Fury in the ninth round en route to victory in the pair’s bid to unite all four heavyweight belts, and went on to claim a split-decision victory. Fury’s 59-year-old dad is renowned for being outspoken and abrasive, and was also involved in a controversial incident in the buildup to his last fight with 37-year-old Usyk. On the opening day of fight week for the first undisputed Riyadh bout, he went on a rampage in a heated exchange and headbutted a young member of Usyk’s team. When pressed on if his father will join him in his corner again in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, Fury, 36, reportedly said: “I don’t know.” “I don’t get involved in all that s**te. “I just go to the gym, train and fight, get paid, go home. That’s what I have always done.” Many boxing fans have called for the former two-time champion to make adjustments ahead of the rematch, especially to his corner where his dad joined Andy Lee and Sugar Hill Steward. The broadcast during the first fight caught Fury Snr shouting over trainer Steward, while also giving conflicting orders. Fury’s corner received a lot of criticism after the Usyk boutGetty Fury has since directly responded to those critics in a face-off with Usyk on TNT Sports in November, saying ‘people can have their opinions’ but ‘they’re not in there doing the fighting’. Lee has also spoken on the matter, admitting he doesn’t know either if Fury’s dad will join them again. “Who knows what will happen? I don’t,” he said. “Last time the corner was hectic, especially towards the end of the fight. There were three different voices in there, SugarHill, John and me. “I can understand, from a dad’s point of view, he was trying to protect his son. But Sugar Hill was trying to win the fight. “I was told Tyson was two rounds down and I had to communicate that to him.” Anthony Crolla says Fury’s corner was a ‘shambles’Getty Former world champion Anthony Crolla has criticised Fury’s corner from the initial bout with Usyk too, but added he sees no issues with Fury Snr being present for the rematch. “There’s no denying last time that the corner of Tyson was a bit of a shambles,” he said in an interview with Razed. “You had a lot of great boxing brains in there but there’s no denying that the corner was a shambles. “There might be one voice this time in the corner with Sugar Hill Steward who is the head coach, Any Lee who has a great brain, and John Fury who knows his son very well. “When It’s time for Tyson to sit down in the corner, it might be time for one clear voice, and I believe that’s how it should be.” Eddie Hearn, who has worked with a who’s who of boxing greats including Usyk himself, has said ‘It’s very difficult’ to bet against Usyk to win the rematch. He also told talkSPORT that he hopes ‘the big man can do something special’, while admitting he can only see the fight being a ‘thriller’. Former two-weight boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi agreed as he also predicted Usyk to repeat history against Fury.
Tyson Fury is unsure if his dad will corner him for Saturday’s blockbuster rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
John Fury was criticised by fans and boxing’s elite for his involvement in a ‘shambolic’ corner showing during Fury’s fight with Usyk in May.
Those voices included the likes of Ricky Hatton, who suggested along with numerous others that Fury should consider removing his father from his corner.
‘The Gypsy King’ was beaten via split-decision by the undefeated Ukrainian, but is now aiming to exact revenge on his first-ever boxing loss as their December 21 rematch nears.
Usyk dropped Fury in the ninth round en route to victory in the pair’s bid to unite all four heavyweight belts, and went on to claim a split-decision victory.
Fury’s 59-year-old dad is renowned for being outspoken and abrasive, and was also involved in a controversial incident in the buildup to his last fight with 37-year-old Usyk.
On the opening day of fight week for the first undisputed Riyadh bout, he went on a rampage in a heated exchange and headbutted a young member of Usyk’s team.
When pressed on if his father will join him in his corner again in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, Fury, 36, reportedly said: “I don’t know.”
“I don’t get involved in all that s**te.
“I just go to the gym, train and fight, get paid, go home. That’s what I have always done.”
Many boxing fans have called for the former two-time champion to make adjustments ahead of the rematch, especially to his corner where his dad joined Andy Lee and Sugar Hill Steward.
The broadcast during the first fight caught Fury Snr shouting over trainer Steward, while also giving conflicting orders.
Fury has since directly responded to those critics in a face-off with Usyk on TNT Sports in November, saying ‘people can have their opinions’ but ‘they’re not in there doing the fighting’.
Lee has also spoken on the matter, admitting he doesn’t know either if Fury’s dad will join them again.
“Who knows what will happen? I don’t,” he said.
“Last time the corner was hectic, especially towards the end of the fight. There were three different voices in there, SugarHill, John and me.
“I can understand, from a dad’s point of view, he was trying to protect his son. But Sugar Hill was trying to win the fight.
“I was told Tyson was two rounds down and I had to communicate that to him.”
Former world champion Anthony Crolla has criticised Fury’s corner from the initial bout with Usyk too, but added he sees no issues with Fury Snr being present for the rematch.
“There’s no denying last time that the corner of Tyson was a bit of a shambles,” he said in an interview with Razed.
“You had a lot of great boxing brains in there but there’s no denying that the corner was a shambles.
“There might be one voice this time in the corner with Sugar Hill Steward who is the head coach, Any Lee who has a great brain, and John Fury who knows his son very well.
“When It’s time for Tyson to sit down in the corner, it might be time for one clear voice, and I believe that’s how it should be.”
Eddie Hearn, who has worked with a who’s who of boxing greats including Usyk himself, has said ‘It’s very difficult’ to bet against Usyk to win the rematch.
He also told talkSPORT that he hopes ‘the big man can do something special’, while admitting he can only see the fight being a ‘thriller’.
Former two-weight boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi agreed as he also predicted Usyk to repeat history against Fury.
