Tyson Fury has finally spoken out about why his and his father John’s relationship is “destroyed”.
Despite John and Tyson previously boasting a close relationship throughout the heavyweight’s career, in March, the elder of the pair said that his relationship with his son was “completely destroyed”, before going on to claim that the ‘Gypsy King’ is “past his best” ahead of his comeback fight against Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov this Saturday (11 April).
The former two-time heavyweight champion has not fought since sustaining a second consecutive loss to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024.
In the days after the defeat in Saudi Arabia, Tyson announced that he had retired from professional boxing – something he has done on several occasions before.
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However, Tyson will return at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend, although his father will likely not be in his corner.
"My relationship with Tyson is destroyed," Fury told Playbook Boxing, powered by Betway. "Boxing destroyed it completely. I'll say it on camera: I've never taken £10 off him in my life and I never will.
"I don't want Tyson's money and I don't need Tyson's money. Whatever he's got, good luck to him. But don’t forget who built his story when he was a kid. He didn’t build it himself, did he? Me, his father."
After also criticising Tyson’s trainer SugarHill Steward, he added: “I think he's past his best.
"I'm a no-filter kind of guy – I say it how I see it. I love him, but there are too many people patting him on the back and telling him things that aren't true, building him up like he's invincible. He's not, and he hasn’t been for a while.
"Tyson has been gone since the Deontay Wilder fights; they finished him. Wilder completely did him. He's not got a leg underneath him. He's taken a lot away from Tyson. Makhmudov is a problem for Tyson. I am the first one to say it.
"Listen, I understand now that Tyson is testing himself. But I can tell you now, his legs aren't there any more. I understand the only way he will believe that and see that is when the first bell rings."
Ahead of his comeback bout, which will be his 38th contest in the paid ranks, the 37-year-old has now addressed the reason for his feud with his father.
In an in-depth interview with The Ring, the Morecambe-based fighter admitted that boxing was an “obsession” that has “always dragged” him back.
Tyson said: “It’s an obsession and sometimes you get selfish because, in the beginning, you want things in your life – you want to be a champion, you want to earn money, get a house and cars and whatever. Then it becomes an obsession later on. You want more, more, more. It starts to affect your family, your home life, your wife, your children – everybody.
“There’s got to be an end to it but, to me, there is no end. Mike Tyson just fought recently at 60 years old.”
He then finished the interview by addressing the issues between him and his father.
He added: “For my father, he just wants the best for me. He wants me to retire and walk away, but if it was that easy I would have walked away five times before. But I don’t have that ability to let go. It can affect a lot of things, including families.
“My dad saying he’s not speaking to me – I suppose he’s trying to encourage me not to fight any more. But fighting’s all I’ve ever known and all I ever will know.”
Topics: Tyson Fury, John Fury, Boxing, Oleksandr Usyk, Heavyweight Boxing
Luke Davies