DOG OF WAR
Tyson: I tried to lead a normal life but walking the mutt ain’t for me
TYSON FURY’S priorities after his last Wembley fight were to spend time with his family and walk the dog.
Now, after battering Derek Chisora, he wants to fight Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi for the undisputed world heavyweight title followed by Joe Joyce in a return to the famous London stadium to make “2023 the biggest year of my career”. So much for retirement. Fury says he sincerely wanted to live a “normal” life after beating Dillian Whyte in April, but realised four months later that he loved the “abnormal” life of boxing.
He claims nothing compares to the adrenaline rush in the changing room just before he walked out in front of 59,769 adoring fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face Derek Chisora in their trilogy fight.
The unbeaten WBC champ, who won by 10th round referee stoppage, said: “I retired back in April and I really meant it, hand on heart.
“Frank Warren tried to come to me with exhibition fights. I said ‘I don’t want to box any more’. I had four months at home with Paris and the kids and the dog, a normal family life in Morecambe Bay.
“I suppose when you’ve been in the spotlight like I have and been in it for so long, it’s very difficult to live a normal life.
“When I thought about it, I’m anything but normal, I’m abnormal. This is what I do, this is what I am. This is what has defined me as person. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have won 33 fights with 24 knock-outs.
“It’s what I love. It makes me feel alive. I said to the boys in the changing room, ‘I really love where I am, this is my comfort zone. This is my life, this is what I live for’.
“I’m 34 and my cousin said I’m only in my prime, and he’s right. I’m getting better with age like a fine wine.”
Fury’s cousin is right and his fight with Chisora was horribly one-sided. He landed almost at will, particularly with uppercuts as Chisora tried to come in low underneath his longer reach, and he landed over half of his power punches.
He repeatedly eased off when he had Chisora in trouble, perhaps because he did not want to hurt his old friend out of respect.
Yet he succeeded in achieving the opposite as he pummelled Chisora’s face, cutting his right eye and turning it into steak tartare.
To his immense credit, Chisora kept throwing punches, inviting more damage and his trainer Don Charles should have pulled him out before referee Victor Loughlin stepped in with nine seconds remaining in the 10th round.
Fury has now vowed to “end” Oleksandr Usyk, claiming Joe Joyce will be tougher – but he’s ruled out ever facing bitter
rival Anthony Joshua, claiming he is only interested in fighting “real men”.
Fury called out Usyk and Joyce when the pair stepped into the ring after his win and he wants the Ukrainian first for the undisputed world heavyweight title.
Then he wants a summer clash with Joyce at Wembey and says his fellow Brit will be harder to beat.
Fury said: “I will end Usyk. He is a slicker boxer but Joyce is the juggernaut and I think gives me a tougher fight. “Usyk just looks like a rabbit. He’s got two eyes which look far apart, he’s got a big gap between his teeth like a rabbit.
“I might nickname myself the farmer and the farmer will skin the rabbit and put him in a pie and eat him up for breakfast.”
I’m 34 and my cousin said I’m only in my prime – and he’s right TYSON FURY on career retirement u-turn