Tyson Fury must ditch ‘liability’ dad John after his ’embarrassing’ antics in Oleksandr Usyk fight, says Carl Froch
TYSON FURY has been urged to ditch his “liability” dad John after his “embarrassing” antics before and during the Oleksandr Usyk fight.
Fury made the decision to bring his dad into training camp for the historic undisputed title decider in an official capacity for the first time.
"Win these two rounds and you've won the fight"
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Tyson Fury's corner giving the orders#FuryUsyk pic.twitter.com/7tj9NR0j44
But before the bout had even started the volatile 59-year-old – once prisoned for gauging a man’s eye out – was making unwanted headlines.
John headbutted a smaller member of Usyk’s camp shortly after touching down in the notoriously strict Saudi Arabia.
Somehow the former bare-knuckle brawler came off worse but son Tyson’s stunned reaction to the ruck was caught on camera.
And British boxing legend Carl Froch insisted it was an unwanted distraction just days before the biggest night of Fury’s career.
Froch told SunSport, via Lucky Block: “He’s a liability. He must be hard work with the pressure he puts on Tyson.
“Remember Tyson walks in the room after Big John headbutted that skinny kid from Team Usyk and he was like – ‘what have you done to your head, you f***ing idiot?’
“He had blood running all down his face, I think he thinks it makes him look hard doesn’t he?
“Keeps all the blood on his face, it’s a tiny little cut – I’ve done worse shaving and he lets the blood pour all over his face like he’s a big hard man.
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“What does he say, ‘Blood, guts and honour, this is what I do everyday?’ It’s embarrassing, but I think Tyson is used to it.
“Even though he’s used to his dad being a bit of a moron, he must think ‘that’s not good, we’re in Saudi Arabia, big fight’ – the last thing you want is distractions.
“For me, if you’ve got someone being like this on the team they’ve got to go.
“On ‘Froch on Fighting’ I said listen, get John out of the way and put him back in his box and just keep him out of the way because he’s a liability.
“We didn’t see much of him, did we? He’s definitely gone missing, I think he’s been told – because we never saw him on Saturday after that incident.
“It’s a massive hindrance for Tyson in the biggest fight of his life and he’s got his dad playing up, trying to steal the limelight. It’s not good for Tyson.”
Fury has chopped and changed trainers over the years, going from uncle Peter to upstart Ben Davison and now Sugarhill Steward, nephew to the legendary Emanuel.
But his dad John had always taken a back seat in the camps and corner… until now.
John was the third member of Fury’s crowded corner, joining head coach Steward and assistant trainer, ex-world champ Andy Lee.
And damning footage in the aftermath of Fury’s split-decision loss to Usyk revealed John barking orders by shouting over lead voice Steward.
Fury survived a brutal ninth-round onslaught where Usyk was deemed unfortunate not to be given a stoppage win.
But the damage in the corner had been done by that point as the dethroned Gypsy King surrendered his unbeaten record and prized WBC belt.
Froch added: “His performance was really good, fought really well and gave Usyk the hardest fight he’s ever had in the professional game for sure – I know he lost a few as an amateur.
“Big, strong, good performance – slow start, good middle, not so clever at the end, got battered in round nine.
“I was proud of him, he did himself and British boxing proud, but Usyk was the better man and won.
For all the love for resurgent AJ... these two are head, shoulders and fists ahead of everyone else
OLEKSANDR USYK is the deserved undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, writes Wally Downes Jr
A great biggun doesn’t always beat a great littleun, not when David has the weight of a besieged nation on his shoulders and is able to swing each compatriot into every punch.
Usyk did what Usyk does, he moved magnificently, he counter punched and he outworked his taller and heavier opponent.
He somehow manages to use every physical disadvantage to his favour.
But what the hell is Fury doing getting up in round nine?
Why is a father-of-eight with £300million in the bank, three best-selling books and a Netflix series going to the well like?
Britain is not fighting back Putin’s army, Morecambe is not occupied.
So when the 35-year-old’s senses are scrambled, when the canvas is calling him, when he is so desperate not to be felled he is willing to bounce around all the ropes like a drunk, when he eventually has to collapse into a corner, why doesn’t he just stay down?
He has earned the right to surrender as well as his millions.
The sheer courage and guts and bloody mindedness it takes to climb off that deck, with a broken nose and a crumbling ego is not comprehensible to us mortals.
Fury said he felt he won the fight but was too dignified to call robbery or corruption, no doubt his dad will taint that decency by the time you’ve read this.
The rematch will be superb.
Because for all the love we have for a resurgent Anthony Joshua – who was ringside for that iconic event – these two polar opposite men are head, shoulders, fists, hearts and brains ahead of everyone else.
There is the top two, then there is a void and then there is the rest.
Read Wally’s big fight verdict in full here…
“For some people it was a bit controversial and close, some people think Tyson won.
“Usyk really deserved a stoppage or a chance to finish the job in round nine when the referee was kind of helping Tyson out.
“Big John was a pain in the arse and a hindrance to Tyson, I don’t think he helped.”
Fury, 35, looks set for a rematch in October back in Saudi with Usyk, 37, who became the first-ever four-belt heavyweight undisputed king.
The British superstar expressed regret at not stepping his foot on the gas in the closing rounds after being told he was up by his calamity corner.
But Froch, 46, said: “The advice was coming from different people, one screaming in your ear, one in front of you shadow boxing and you’re not listening to anyone.
“He even said in the press conference after, if they had told me to go for him in the last round I’d have done more.
“It’s a poor excuse but the corner was a shambles.”
