Bloody hard day’s night for the Kiwi in Fury’s corner
Agrowing Kiwi connection helped British heavyweight Tyson Fury retain his unbeaten record in his bloodbath with Otto Wallin.
Taylor Barry, a son of Joseph Parker’s trainer Kevin Barry and a regular in the training setup of the Kiwi boxing star, got an unexpected opportunity to work the corner of the Gypsy King in Las Vegas last Sunday.
It literally turned into a bloody hard night’s work as Fury suffered horrendous double cuts above his right eye that later required 47 stitches but held on for a unanimous points decision.
Barry, 24, is a good friend of Fury’s trainer Ben Davison, 26, and when he got the invite, he jumped at it with the encouragement of his father.
Like Fury, he didn’t know what he was in for.
‘‘Going into it, everyone thought it was going to be the same result as his last fight, two or three rounds and easy work for the corner,’’ Barry said.
Initially Barry was to look after Fury’s seat and mouthguard, ice his neck and provide water between rounds, working alongside Davison’s tactical call and with cut man Jorge Capetillo ever-present.
‘‘But after Tyson got cut the whole corner changed. The cut man had to jump into the ring and we had to adjust,’’ Barry said.
‘‘It made it a really hard night for Tyson. He had a lot of blood, he lost vision after round seven or eight, so he was getting hit and every time he got hit he was getting hurt because he didn’t see it coming.’’
Barry suddenly had the extra responsibility of cleaning Fury up in the frantic minute’s break between rounds. That in itself was quite a job.
‘‘There was a lot of blood . . . all over his ear, the back of his head and his back. I was trying to get all that off him. It was a hard night’s work, that’s for sure.’’
Fury didn’t know the extent of the injury and it was best it stayed that way.
‘‘Ben and I were saying we have to stay composed and relaxed because if we panic, he panics. So we stay nice and composed and Tyson, when the blood was dripping, he says: ‘I live for this shit’.’’
Davison offered similar sentiments as the adrenalin flowed and they saw out the fight until the final bell.
Barry got a big thank-you from Davison and Fury for his efforts on a difficult night.
He’s unsure if he’ll get another chance to work with Fury but the friendship and blossoming relationship with Team Parker means they will certainly cross paths regularly.
When Fury signed his huge deal with Las Vegas-based Top Rank, Barry, who has been brought up in the desert city, offered to help Davison organise training facilities and assist any way he could.
‘‘It’s a good relationship. Tyson is very nice to Joe and he comes into our gym when he comes to Vegas, we all mingle. He’s a good person to rub shoulders with. He’s going to go down as one of the best of our era
– he’s just a good human being and a good role model for our young fighters to look up to.’’
Parker was in Fury’s dressing room before the fight, dancing some moves with the relaxed Brit and offering encouragement.
Barry revealed WBC champion Deontay Wilder was also looking to use their gym in the buildup to his looming rematch with Cuba’s Luis Ortiz.
Barry is gaining increasing responsibilities as he emerges from under his father’s wing. Grandfather Kevin Barry Snr is a former New Zealand Olympic coach.
Taylor Barry now heads to Russia for their lightheavyweight Umar Salamov’s fight with Ghana’s Emmanuel Danso in Grozny this weekend, a clash that will give the winner a chance to fight for the No 1 position with the WBO.
Barry, who has been involved in all Parker’s world title and major fights, is relishing these big occasions and feeling increasingly comfortable.
Barry had already worked the corners of British featherweight Isaac Lowe and Italian heavyweight Guido Vianello for wins on the undercard of Fury’s headline act.
‘‘We’ve been on the big stage a fair bit now. I’m learning, I’m progressing, it’s become second nature now.
‘‘I never thought I’d be in Tyson’s corner, though.’’
‘‘There was a lot of blood . . . all over his ear, the back of his head and his back. I was trying to get all that off him.’’
Taylor Barry on Tyson Fury