Tommy Fury was involved in the most bizarre face-off of his career ahead of his return to the ring on Friday night.
Fury, brother of two-time world heavyweight champion Tyson, is back in action in Budapest following a lengthy absence.
His last fight was his unanimous decision victory over rival KSI in October 2023 at the Manchester Arena, where Fury moved to 10-0 professionally.
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He was slated to face former UFC star Darren Till in Manchester at the start of 2025 but withdrew from the bout after the Liverpudlian made regular threats to use MMA moves inside the ring.
Fury was replaced by Anthony Taylor and got back in the gym before it was confirmed he would be making his return in Hungary against an unknown fighter MTK Arena.
Bosnian Kenan Hanjalic, with a 5-1 record and 100 amateur fights under his belt, was announced as his next opponent and the two were involved in an unusual staredown ahead of the encounter.
The boxers participated in the mandatory face-off but got right in one another's faces and were nose to nose before Hanjalic shoved Fury.
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With his dad John sat watching in the background, the 26-year-old wagged his finger and laughed before telling him, "See you tomorrow night" before media began applauding.
Fans were in shock at how the face-off played out, with one commenting: "One of the worst face offs I’ve ever seen."
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Another added: "The pushes seem so forced nowadays. No actual anger or emotion behind them, they feel scripted."
A third wrote: "That was the most lazy fake push I’ve ever seen…"
A fourth user said: "This shouldn't constitute as proper boxing."
A final person joked: "The crowd went wild... all 4 of them."
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Fury has had a difficult period since his KSI win, requiring surgery on a career-threatening hand injury and experiencing issues in his personal life with a split from partner and mother of his child, Molly-Mae Hague.
But as he prepares to get back in the ring, he is feeling optimistic again about the future.
"Yeah 2024 was the worst year of my life," Fury said, opening up on Good Morning Britain.
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"But this year’s going to be the best year of my life. It starts on Friday, I’ve turned it all around.
"I’m happy mentally now, I’ve got to go through these challenges in life. Everyone’s got a hard life.
"I’ve come through this, I’m on the other side and I’m back doing what I do best.”
Topics: Tommy Fury, Boxing, Fan Reactions
Josh Lawless