By: Sean Crose
“I’m looking to sign another ten fight deal after this,” ESPN’s Mike Coppinger quotes WBC and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury as saying. “I’m going to put my feelers out there and see who I can get the best deal off for another ten fights.” So much for retirement. Fury, who has retired and come back at least once, is now scheduled to fight UFC star Francis Ngannou later this month. After that the towering Englishman is signed to fight IBF, WBA, and WBO heavyweight titlist Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. Again, so much for retirement.
“What else is there?” the undefeated champion asked rhetorically. “I retire, plenty of money, plenty of achievement, whatever.” Fury who has openly admitted to battles with mental illness, went on to claim that boxing is good for his psyche. “This makes me fucking happy fighting,” he said. “This is all I’ve ever done and all that’s ever made me happy. So it’d be stupid now to walk away from it when I’m making millions of dollars and getting loads of joy from it as well.” With that being said, Fury went on to indicate that boxing is a sport that takes a toll on its participants.
“I’ve been boxing 15 years as a pro,” claimed the fighter knows as The Gypsy King. “I’m going to be prone to injuries, you know, elbows, knees, shoulders, ankles, everything that can go wrong on somebody usually at our age now that goes wrong.” As far as Fury is concerned, it will be a sad day for the sport of boxing when he finally decides to hang up the gloves for good. “Boxing is definitely more entertaining when I’m in it. I’ll say boxing will be fucked when I’m gone.”
That may or may not be true, of course, but there’s no doubt that Fury is one of the sport’s most colorful current competitors. Loud, brash, and frequently comical, he’s got a personality the size of his enormous frame. Fury’s personal battles have, on the other hand, showcased the fighter’s humanity. Indeed, Fury emerged from a very dark interior place before he returned to heavyweight glory several years back. With that in mind, Fury can be exasperating at times due to some of the very qualities that have made him famous. R-rated interviews and bombastic online statements can make good press, but they can also raise eyebrows, especially when there is extended periods of time in between the man’s fights.
