Tyson inspired Fury to make his ring return
TYSON Fury has revealed his comeback is being fuelled by his determination to defend the honour of his hero Mike Tyson.
And he has also admitted he felt ashamed about his own treatment of another ring legend, Lennox Lewis.
Former heavyweight champion Fury returns to the ring on June 9 at the M.E.N. Arena - ending a two-and-ahalf year break.
Fury hasn’t fought since his win against Wladimir Klitschko in Germany in 2015 but says WBC champion Deontay Wilder is to thank for his return.
He cites the brash American’s claims that he’d ‘kick the hell outta’ former undisputed champion Tyson as the final spur he needed.
Wilder also claimed Fury would never be able to get back in the ring after his dramatic weight gain post Klitschko - but it was the comments about his namesake that cemented his desire to reignite his career.
“I was looking at my phone and saw his comments and I thought ‘You know what, I can definitely come back and beat you for that,’” said Fury. “To top it off there was the stuff he said about Mike Tyson, that he’d knock him out in a round.
“To speak about someone that you can never fight from a different era in a disrespectful manner is distasteful.”
Fury, himself, proposed a clash with Lewis - but admits he felt so bad about his actions that he sought to clear the air with his fellow Brit.
“I was ashamed and embarrassed when I realised I tried to get Lewis out of retirement after the Klitschko fight,” he added. “I said I wanted to fight him next to see who the best heavyweight would be.
“I thought at the time it would do a lot of pay per view buys and would be good and would be a good show for the public.
“When I realised he was 50odd years old and wasn’t even from my era, I thought it’s not a good idea. We kissed and made up and had a good time in New York and had a few drinks and now we’re buddys.
“I never meant to disrespect him, I was just trying to build a big fight.”
Fury is yet to announce his next opponent, but is promising a spectacular return, with showdowns against Joshua or Wilder lying in wait.
“I’ll be ready for these guys in a couple of fights,” he said. “I don’t fear any of them.
“I believe with my talent the skill is enough to beat them. I could tie one hand behind my back and beat them. They can pick which one, right or left. That’s how confident I am.”