By Tim Parsons
Tyson Fury’s team are back giving it a lot of talk, but little action.
The unbeaten heavyweight failed to show up for his scheduled rematch, citing depression as the reason for his withdrawal. Beaten by depression and substance abuse, he was stripped of all his titles, making him an ordinary boxer again.
Fury beat himself, his excuse of depression hasn’t gone down well with boxing fans because boxing requires toughness both physically and mentally. What was Fury depressed about? The claims are that he wasn’t appreciated enough as world champion, was subjected to prejudiced statements about his gypsy heritage, and was robbed of his IBF belt.
If he was not appreciated as heavyweight champion, he is not the first and won’t be the last. Lennox Lewis was underappreciated for a long time, but he did not give up. He remained strong and determined until he unified all the belts. Reports of discrimination over Fury’s heritage is not enough reason to go into depression.
After all, Fury is a loud mouth and should have enough to fight back verbally. His final issue of being robbed of his IBF belt is false. The belt was stripped from him according to the rules which he breached by refusing to defend his mandatory belt when he was required to do so. Fury may not have been smart enough to understand this, but would have been smart enough to inquire from his team and his lawyers whether the IBF were legally allowed to strip him.
WBC middleweight champion recently said he would have preferred to see Anthony Joshua face Tyson Fury because Fury is the real champion. Degale is wrong because Fury is no longer the champion because he beat himself outside the ring. A champion who beats himself outside the ring is in no position to face a dangerous puncher like Anthony Joshua. It is pointless Degale wishing Joshua was fighting Fury because if Fury is that psychologically fragile, he would not stand a chance against Joshua in a million years.
Now, Fury’s uncle is telling the world that his nephew will be ready to fight around April/May next year. In an interview with 4c Sports Media, Peter Fury gave two contradicting statements. First, he said Fury will be back in the ring around April May next year, then barely a minute later said he expects him back late on next year or early the year after. Make up your mind will you?
Peter Fury said:
“As we speak now, he is with his brother and he’s with his father and he’s training every day,” Peter recently told 4c Sports Media. “He’s running, he’s training and he’s asking when I’m back in the gym. So he’s going to be back. Expect Tyson in the ring around April/May next year – he’ll be back. He’ll be back stronger, positive-minded. He has not lost anything really.”
“He’s coming back to not only get the belts, but to prove that he is the only heavyweight in the world. He is coming back with a vengeance and I expect that late on next year or the early part of the year after, he will be back fighting for the belts again. He’ll have a couple of fights – two or three fights – and he’ll be back fighting for the belts.”
Peter Fury expressed a wish to see his nephew fight Deontey Wilder.
“Personally, for me, I’d like to see Tyson fight Wilder,” said the coach. “I think that’s a massive fight across the pond. I think with the two of them, the way they speak and the way they go at it and they are two colossal-sized giants aren’t they? I think they are well matched. I think that would turn into a super fight. So, I’d like to see Tyson face Wilder. That’s a fight we want anyway. So, hopefully Wilder stays undefeated and towards the end of next year we’d like to try make that fight.”
All talk! If Fury has started training already, there is no reason we can have him in the ring by May, the month initially mentioned by Peter Fury. Talking about fighting at the end of the year is just buying time. Fury has done a lot of talking all his career and up until the time he beat Klitschko, he was actually backing his talk. He ruined it when he pulled out at the last minute mentioning depression. Depression he didn’t know about when he turned up at the press conference to announce the rematch and claim he would beat Klitschko again even with a big belly. Peter Fury is not stupid. He knows by the end of the year, Anthony Joshua will be going for Wilder. If team Fury have anything to offer, they must do so with action, not talk.