Five Magical Moments from the Career of Tyson Fury
WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, “The Gypsy King” is set to face WBO, IBF and WBA champion Oleksandr Usyk on May 18 this year. The bout, scheduled originally for February 2024, will take place at the Kingdom Arena, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Sportsbooks have the Ukrainian as the underdog and have placed him at +100 on the moneylines, whereas the Fury odds sit at -130.
Fury is a colorful character who has experienced the highs of winning a world boxing title as well as the lows of depression and a battle with drug addiction. There has been talk of retirement by some, but he’s quashed those rumors, saying he still has to fight Usyk twice, Anthony Joshua potential twice and also rematch with MMA star Francis Ngannou. Below is a look at some of the highlights of Fury’s career and their impact on boxing.
Defeating Vladimir Klitschko to become world champion in 2015
When Klitschko and Fury met in the ring in Dusseldorf in November 2015, Klitschko was the heavy favorite. The Ukrainian was holding three heavyweight belts at the time and was dominating the heavyweight division.
If you thought boxing was predictable, think again. Fury had engaged in all sorts of mind games the build-up to the fight, but when push came to shove, the Brit showed he could walk the walk too. Fury stifled the Klitschko by establishing his jab. As the fight went on, the Ukrainian became weary. Fury continued toying with the champion. By the final bell, the judges were clear the sport had a new champion.
Fury beats mental health issues and drug addiction to box again
After claiming the IBF, WBO and WBO titles from Klitschko, Fury didn’t fight again for 924 days. Within a year of the victory, he was taking drugs, binge drinking and hoping that when he went to sleep, he wouldn’t wake up. Drinking had felt like the only way he could cope with his depression.
Then in 2017, he prayed for redemption and recovery and would return to the ring when he was sober. In a year, he shed 150 lbs. In the run-up to his first fight with “The Bronze Bomber” Deontay Wilder, he insisted he was a new man and felt physically and mentally stronger. He also appreciated boxing more.
Fury gets up from brutal knockdown by Wilder in December 2018
December 18 saw the start of a trilogy of remarkable fights between the Gypsy King and Wilder. Many feared it might be too soon after his comeback from depression and a battle with drug addiction to face the hard-hitting WBC champion. Only six months had gone by since his return.
Although the WBC champ had knocked Fury down in the ninth, the Brit’s movement and counterpunching continued to cause him problems, as it had done all night. Three rounds later, the champ thought he’d put the fight to bed when he sent Fury crashing to the canvas with a heavy left hook. As the count began to close, Fury somehow got back to his feet in one of the most memorable moments in boxing, survived the count and dragged the fight out until the bitter end. The result was a draw, paving the way for a second fight.
Fury ends Wilder trilogy with thunderous knockout in October 2021
Fury’s second match with the “Bronze Bomber,” in February 2020, saw him walk away with the WBC title. There was one fight left to go in the thrilling trilogy — and Fury meant business, making Wilder hit the floor in the third round. The American got back up, however, and was able to drop the Gypsy King twice in the fourth. Fury got back up and the two engaged in a punishing slugfest across the next few rounds. Finally, in the tenth round, Fury managed to gain the upper hand and gradually overwhelm Wilder. He knocked him down before finishing him with a blow that ended the round, the fight and the trilogy.
Fury wins split decision versus Francis Ngannou in October 2023
In October 2023, Fury faced French-Cameroonian mixed martial artist Francis Ngannou in a non-title bout. Despite receiving some heavy bruising from the fighter’s hands, Fury won a controversial split decision (Ngannou would later face Anthony Joshua in March 2024 and get knocked out).
Taking on a non-specialist in boxing is always a risk and Ngannou showed why when he knocked Fury down in the third round. Ngannou had never boxed professionally before and nearly embarrassed the champ. Like a true champ, however, Fury put the knockdown behind, saw out the round and come back. The Brit later said that his opponent had given him one of the toughest fights of the last 10 years.
Tyson Fury is the face of heavyweight boxing, especially British heavyweight boxing, and has fought some major battles, both inside and outside of the ring. His journey has reflected his caliber as a champion, and he has proven an inspiration to the boxing world and its fans. It will be a sad day for boxing when he hangs his gloves up.
