Fury says he is in better shape than ever as he prepares to face Dillian Whyte at a sold-out Wembley
Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury has opened up about next week’s Wembley showdown with British challenger Dillian Whyte, saying this is “the kind of fight I have worked all my life for”.
Four years have passed – and a trilogy of title fights with American Deontay Wilder in the United States – since Fury walked into a ring in the UK. “It’s going to be a great night of boxing and the British fans won’t forget this one in a hurry,” the undefeated World Boxing Council heavyweight champion says. “The ‘Gypsy King’ is going out with a bang. I’m really looking forward to putting on a show there.
“There comes a point when it’s not about money. The achievement is worth more than money in any situation. Money aside, it’s a fantastic achievement for me not only to sell out Wembley in a few hours, but to be a two-time heavyweight champion of the world and be undefeated. It’s been a fantastic journey and I’m very, very happy with the way it has all turned out.”
The 33-year-old with an unblemished 32-fight resume has not commented on alleged organised crime boss Daniel Kinahan, with whom Fury cut ties as an adviser two years ago. Boxers were warned last week by police to sever all ties with Kinahan, after the United States sanctioned the alleged organised crime boss and issued a $5 million (£3.8 million) reward for information leading to his arrest.
Fury has been in training at his home base for the showdown with mandatory challenger Whyte. “He’s a fantastic opponent for me. He’s the guy who has been there as mandatory for I don’t know how long, 10 years or something,” Fury adds. “He’s the guy everyone has been avoiding for whatever reason. He’s a vicious puncher to the body, very compact and solid.
“He’s got a fantastic record – two losses out of 30-odd fights. It’s a fight that sold out in a few hours, so it’s definitely a fight people are excited about. I can’t wait, actually.”
A training camp in the UK has been a major shift for Fury, who has spent the past four years preparing in the US. “It’s been a bit different this time. It’s been at home but I always train good at home,” he says. “Andy Lee [assistant trainer] said to me a couple of years ago, ‘You train fantastic when you’re in Morecambe Bay’.
“I put it down to the good Lancashire sea air and the green grass and the rain. I’m a proper Lancashire lad, so I’m at home and it’s been fantastic, a great training camp. I’ve been totally left alone, everyone has respected my wishes and not approached me with Covid and that sort of stuff. It’s been incredible. I’ve had [trainer] SugarHill [Steward] in for the last seven weeks.
“I’ve had my dad [John Fury] in for seven weeks. I’ve had great sparring. Me and Joe Parker [the former heavyweight world champion] have been training since he got here, well over a year ago. He’s been a great training partner and we’ve really pushed each other on. I believe you’re going to see the best Tyson Fury and that’s unfortunate for Dillian Whyte because he was probably hoping for the worst Tyson Fury.
“I’ve been breaking records in the gym, which is unusual for an almost 34-year-old. But I’ve been breaking records and feeling fantastic, and the most important thing for me is to get to these fights injury-free.
“I’m here now, I’ve arrived, and I’m injury-free. It’s fantastic. All you need to do now is wind me up and watch me go.”
Fury adds: “I’m enjoying the moment. I’m in fight mode. I’m enjoying the music. It’s my time to shine. This is everything I worked for my whole life, from being a little boy to being a 30-odd-year-old man. It’s a long career and this is what it was all for. Every single fight is just as important as the next one.”
Fury also detailed what he goes through mentally and physically in the moments before a contest. “It’s sort of like a lion running in the plains of Africa at a high speed chasing down a gazelle for lunch. That’s the feeling you get. You feel alive. You awaken every sense in your body. Your survival senses. This sounds crazy, but when you get knocked down it’s like you awaken another sense in your body to get back up and want to win. If there’s any bit inside you that can continue on, you search your soul for that little tiny percentage more to give, and that’s what it does. It makes you feel alive. It’s like an HD TV comes on and you can watch it – boom.”
He adds: “I do believe that’s why fighters struggle to walk away, because of the feeling you get from going one on one with another opponent. There’s no feeling like it in the world. Ten pints of lager or a bottle of whisky won’t take you there. It’s a totally different feeling. It’s a feeling that nothing else matters in the world. Not a single thing matters in that moment right before you’re about to fight. You’re focused. You can hear your heart beating. You can hear the blood pulsing through your veins. You can almost hear your conscience talking to you. It’s absolutely fantastic. It’s a surreal experience.”
And Fury blew away any thoughts of retirement, which he had mentioned in the build-up to the contest. “This is why I continue going back to the well. Even after all these tough fights, I just love this game.”
The three judges for the contest with Whyte, a former training partner, are all from outside the UK. “It wasn’t me who did that, it was Frank Warren,” Fury says. “He got it over the line. Over the years, recent times mainly, we’ve seen a lot of dodgy decisions, so we just wanted to be treated fairly. We didn’t want to be a victim of one of those lopsided decisions going the other way. We didn’t want any favours. We just wanted fair play.
“We’re not going to need the judges anyway because I’m going to get him out of there. That’s the only way you can guarantee winning a fight, I believe: get the opponent out of there. This is one of the only sports where you’ve got the ability to take the decision into your own hands.”
Tyson Fury v Dillian Whyte is live on BT Sport Box Office on Saturday