Boxing Wire

Tag: John Fury

  • John Fury: My Relationship With Tyson Is ‘Destroyed’

    John Fury: My Relationship With Tyson Is ‘Destroyed’

    John Fury has publicly confirmed that his relationship with heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is broken — and says he will not attend the April 11 fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov, speaking on the Playbook Boxing YouTube channel.

    “Destroyed it completely,” John said bluntly. “He hasn’t showed me enough respect to say, ‘You know what, me dad could be right.’”

    Blood vs. the Entourage

    At the heart of John’s grievance is a sense that Tyson has consistently chosen his entourage over his own father — and that doing so crosses a line John cannot forgive. He drew a stark contrast between himself and the people he sees profiting from his son.

    “He’s broke the golden rule with me as a man,” John said. “He can keep going with his plastic friends. But he’ll want me before I’ll want him. And don’t forget — at 60 year old, we ain’t got much time left, have we?”

    John was equally clear that money plays no role in his position.

    “If you can’t show your father respect when it’s needed, keep going. I don’t need you. I don’t need him and his millions. I need nothing off him. I wish him well. But he’s put those people before me — his blood father. That’s it.”

    ‘If He Gets in Trouble, He’s Dead’

    John’s refusal to attend or follow the April 11 Netflix card is not simply the product of a family falling-out — it’s also tied to his genuine fear for Tyson’s safety without him in the corner. In a separate part of the interview, John went further, detailing his belief that Tyson is a physically diminished fighter whose best years were left behind in the Wilder trilogy.

    “Will I be at the fight? No. Will I listen to it? No,” he said. “If I had have been in his corner and he was in trouble, he wouldn’t be dead. If he gets in trouble with them in his corner, he’s dead or brain damaged for life.”

    He acknowledged Tyson will likely win the bout — “which he probably will” — but stressed that his last two performances leave serious questions unanswered heading into the contest.

    The Warning to Paris Fury

    With his voice no longer reaching Tyson directly, John said he has taken his concerns to Tyson’s wife, Paris, urging her to intervene before it’s too late.

    “I even said to his wife: ‘You’re going to have to be a bit more forceful with this guy, because you’re going to end up by yourself. What good’s a shell of a man who’s took too many punches when he should have ended his career?’”

    When asked if the relationship can be repaired, John offered no certainty but stopped short of closing the door entirely. “I don’t know. It is what it is. I love my son — but there’s too many people patting him on the back and telling him he’s Tarzan when he’s not Tarzan.”

    John also used the interview to call out Jake Paul and KSI over unpaid bets and reveal that son Tommy Fury has a major fight close to being signed.

  • John Fury Calls Jake Paul and KSI ‘Welshers,’ Tommy Fight Near

    John Fury Calls Jake Paul and KSI ‘Welshers,’ Tommy Fight Near

    John Fury made a pointed public accusation against Jake Paul and KSI in a Playbook Boxing interview on March 19, claiming both owe him money from public bets and have refused to pay up — while also revealing that a major fight for son Tommy Fury is close to being finalized.

    Jake Paul: ‘A Welsher’

    John was characteristically unfiltered when the topic of Jake Paul came up, accusing the influencer-turned-boxer of failing to honor a £3 million public bet. He added that KSI — who fought Tommy Fury in October 2023 — is guilty of the same.

    “Jake Paul bet me 3 million quid. He didn’t pay us. KSI bet me 200 grand. Never got that off him either. I’ll never let it go. I’ll tell everybody — Jake Paul’s a Welsher and so is KSI. Keep your money. I don’t need it. But you’re Welsh, the pair of you.”

    On the long-awaited Tommy-Paul rematch, John said his side has been willing to do a deal — but Paul’s team keeps backing away. “We tried to do a deal. They run when they get near a deal. I said, ‘Okay, I’ll meet you in the middle.’ Radio silence. That’s the truth of the matter.”

    Tommy Fight ‘Imminent’

    Despite the rematch impasse, John said something significant is in motion for Tommy’s next fight. He stopped short of naming the opponent but made clear a deal is close.

    “There’s something big in the pipeline, but I can’t discuss it. Let’s just say the ink’s on the way to the contract. It’s not there yet. But it’s imminent — we’ll see Tommy in the ring again in a big fight.”

    He credited Tommy’s continued success to one key difference between his two sons: Tommy still listens. “Tommy’s at a stage where the difference is — Tommy will listen. I’ve not steered him wrong. He’s made loads of money. He’s unbeaten. He’s not been hurt. He’s been in some good positions. That’s good business.”

    Five Years With One Hand

    John also offered some important context for Tommy’s career record, revealing that his son has been dealing with a serious hand injury throughout his professional run — one that required major surgery.

    “Tommy had one hand for five years. He’s had a major operation. And yet, they still won’t want to fight him.”

    John also claimed credit for the broader crossover boxing model that has since been adopted across the sport. “We open the door. Saudi Arabia — first ones there. And they all thought, ‘Oh no, it’s a mismatch.’ We got no end of flack for it. ‘Oh, they’re bringing boxing into disrepute.’” He added that he now believes traditional boxing is losing the entertainment battle — “it’s sad to say because I’m a purist — I think it’s on its way out.”

    The Jake Paul and Tommy comments came in the same wide-ranging interview in which John declared his relationship with Tyson Fury completely destroyed and said he will not attend the April 11 fight. He also gave a detailed breakdown of Tyson’s physical decline since the Wilder trilogy, including a never-before-revealed detail about Tyson breaking down in sparring before the first Usyk fight.

  • John Fury Says ‘Everything’ Is Gone From Tyson After Wilder Wars

    John Fury Says ‘Everything’ Is Gone From Tyson After Wilder Wars

    John Fury delivered a scathing assessment of his son Tyson’s physical and tactical decline in a wide-ranging interview on Playbook Boxing, arguing the three-fight series with Deontay Wilder permanently diminished the heavyweight champion ahead of his April 11 return.

    Asked point-blank what is missing from Tyson now — technically and tactically — John’s answer was a single word.

    “Everything. When you fight one of the hardest punchers in boxing history three times, it takes something out. You can never fill that tank up like you had it before.”

    The Wilder Wars Left Permanent Damage

    John traced the root of his son’s decline directly to the Wilder trilogy, particularly the toll of going to the absolute limit in brutal heavyweight warfare. He recalled a conversation with Tyson that stayed with him.

    “He said afterward, ‘Dad, I was prepared to die.’ And when he got that knockout on Wilder, he had nothing left after that. He laid it all on the line.”

    His assessment of the two Oleksandr Usyk fights was blunt.

    “I watched the Usyk fight last time — power weren’t there. The moves was there, but after six or seven rounds, it was fading quick. The old Tyson would have knocked them out in five rounds before he met Wilder, because he’d have the engine standing in the middle of the ring and keep going. There’s no two-phased attacks. There’s nothing. When there is a handle, it’s labored. The legs ain’t there.”

    ‘You Only Find Out When the First Bell Rings’

    The most troubling element, John argued, is that the true state of Tyson’s legs cannot be evaluated in a gym — only under fire.

    “People don’t understand — it’s not in the training. It’s when the first bell rings. He’ll only find that out when the first bell rings.”

    He had begged Tyson to walk away after the second Usyk loss, a plea he now makes publicly.

    “I said to him: you’re out 18 months. Forget it. You’re not what you were. Leave it. Begged and prayed of him. Leave it. Your power’s not up to scratch.”

    Usyk Getting Smarter, Tyson Getting Older

    John also pointed to the contrasting career management of Usyk as evidence the scales are tilting further against any potential trilogy. While Tyson chose a difficult fight in Arslanbek Makhmudov for his April comeback, Usyk has taken a calculated route against Rico Verhoeven.

    “Nothing’s going to change because Tyson’s getting weaker and Usyk’s getting stronger, because Usyk’s smarter. He’s having the easier route. Father time waits for no one. He’ll let Fury do all the donkey work and it’ll make it easier for the trilogy.”

    John’s verdict on the fight choice itself was equally damning:

    “What he should have done is box clever. Let two men kill each other. But what’s he done? He’s being a hero. Ego has took over his brain power.”

    The Mental Health Dimension

    John also offered rare context for what was happening behind the scenes during Tyson’s well-documented mental health struggles — revealing that he was quietly fighting his own crisis at the same time, and that neither knew the other was equally broken.

    “I went for a walk with Tyson. He was ill at this time. But little did he know I was iller than him. We were both messed up in the head walking on that road. He’s saying, ‘This ain’t right now.’ I’m thinking, ‘I’m not on my own here.’”

    Most strikingly, John revealed that just two weeks before the first Usyk fight, Tyson broke down mid-sparring and John called for the bout to be pulled entirely.

    “Two weeks before the Usyk fight — two rounds sparring. He’s laid down in the ring and he’s crying his eyes out. I said, ‘Stop. Right. Pull the fight.’ My head’s gone. Yours is gone. We need time to rebuild our minds.”

    That Tyson fought on — and pushed through — speaks to the same quality John cited from the Wilder years. But it also raises questions about the judgment calls being made around him, and whether the people in his corner are giving him the honest counsel a fighter needs heading into another dangerous heavyweight assignment.

    The physical decline is only part of John’s concern. In the same interview, he confirmed the father-son relationship is effectively over and explained why he will not be present at ringside on April 11. He also addressed the Jake Paul rematch situation and a big upcoming fight for Tommy Fury.