HUGHIE DISPLAYS TYSON’S FURY IN WEIGH-IN SCRAP
A FURY is back in a heavyweight world title fight and drama has accompanied the fighting family’s return to the ring. This time it was Hughie Fury, 23, getting into a scrape, with the normally quiet cousin of Tyson shoving Joseph Parker at their weigh-in. They meet for real at the Manchester Arena tonight, with their engagement for the WBO title vacated by Tyson Fury in 2016 during his battles with himself and the authorities. It promises to be a fascinating fight, but the calmness showed by Fury during his preparations was replaced yesterday with angry words to the champion from New Zealand, followed by a push at the scales. It adds a layer of a spice to a showdown that has had a degree of bad blood and has strangely gone under the radar, with only 8,000 seats expected to be occupied in the 21,000-capacity arena. But the significance of the bout should not be underplayed, given Parker, the favourite, has already held talks with Anthony Joshua’s camp about a unification, while a bout between Joshua and Fury would be a major event if Fury can upset the odds in Manchester. On paper, Parker and Fury are well matched, given they are both unbeaten, with Fury on 20-0 and 10 knockouts. The worry is that Fury’s inactivity since April 2016 could put too much rust on a boxing style built on timing and movement. The 6ft 6in fighter insisted yesterday that he would be going for the knockout, after weighing in at 16st 10lb, shy of Parker’s 17st 7lb. He said: ‘It is going to be a pleasure to perform for the first time in my home city and I’m going to bring on the greatest performance of my life and bring home the title. ‘I’m so hungry and when I say I’ll knock him out, I’ll knock him out.’ Parker, 25, has fought a higher calibre of opponent in reaching 23-0 but has looked sluggish in his past two outings. He said: ‘I feel it is important to come here and make a statement, and there is no better way to do it than by fighting a young, hungry fighter who wants to be a champion.’ The fight will be preceded by a 10-bell tribute to Jake LaMotta, the legendary American world middleweight champion, who died on Tuesday at the age of 95.