Fury relishing home comforts
TYSON Fury admits it will be a dream come true to finally fight at the Manchester Arena for the first time tonight – after six previous scheduled bouts there all fell through.
The former heavyweight champion of the world returns after nearly 1,000 days out of the ring when he takes on Sefer Seferi this evening.
It will be the seventh time that Fury has had a fight scheduled to take place at the Manchester Arena, but all of the previous six failed to take place.
There were two fights planned with David Haye that did not happen following injuries to Haye, along with two dates set for the rematch with Wladimir Klitschko, with Fury pulling out of both.
Scheduled fights with Dereck Chisora and Alexander Ustinov also failed to take place.
Fury now gets his long-awaited opportunity to box on a big stage in his home town.
“I can’t wait. For everything that’s gone on, it’s a great place to box, and I’m looking very much forward to fighting in Manchester, putting on a show and going home,” he said.
“I’ve been away from my kids for eight weeks and it’s been hard. The youngest two I’ve never been away from them ever and they don’t know what it’s like. It is hard being a boxer and a dad. The sacrifices have to be made, if you want to be the best you have to do the best.”
It has been a long road back for Fury, who hasn’t fought since winning the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts when he defeated Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015.
Despite that being the performance of his career, and one of the best performances from a British fighter in recent memory, Fury insists he is only looking forward and does not want to reflect on what has happened in the past.
“That is all finished. I don’t look at yesterday or what happened two years ago. That is a piece of history. A piece of good history for me and the family and everyone else, but it is long gone,” he said. “It was years ago. We are in 2018 now and it is a new era. Don’t worry about old me. Look at the new me. Better and improved. “Sometimes I wish I could go back in life, not to change stuff, but to taste things twice. We all have good things in the past and bad things in the past, but they are in the past. “You have ups and downs and you carry on.” The long-term goal for Fury is to set up a future fight with Anthony Joshua, and he admits it would be a shame if it never happens. “Let’s just get in there and fight it out, whoever wins, wins. It would be a travesty if we don’t fight but whatever is meant to be will be,” he said. “I can’t do any more than train, sleep, eat and fight. If the fight happens it happens, if they doesn’t, it doesn’t. If it doesn’t then good luck to him but it’s not great for the era if we don’t fight.”
I can’t wait. For everything that’s gone on, it’s a great place to box Tyson Fury