Tyson Fury would have been “eaten for dinner” if he fought in a previous generation of heavyweight boxing, according to former world champion Frank Bruno.
Fury, 33, backed up his claim to be the current No 1 heavyweight in the world with an emphatic stoppage of Deontay Wilder in their trilogy fight in October.
The Gypsy King, who now boasts an unbeaten professional record of 31-0-1, has previously claimed to be the “greatest fighter that has ever lived”.
However, his comments have been laughed off by former WBC champion Bruno, who fought in the same era as the likes of Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.
Advert
“[Fury] knows deep down in his heart if he was around in my day, they'd eat him for dinner,” Bruno told DAZN.
“I’m not going to sit here and disrespect him, but we're talking about a different era. He's living on a different cloud to what I was on.
“He's number one, he deserves to be number one. I've got a lot of respect for him.”
Fury made the sensational claim that no fighter in the history of boxing could beat him, following his 11th-round stoppage of Wilder earlier this year.
“There hasn't been a heavyweight from any era in the last thousand years that could've tackled me, who'll beat me,' Fury said at the time.
Advert
“I'm the greatest fighter that's ever lived, and how about that for a bit of modesty!”
Fury is expected to next face WBC mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte in 2022, with a potential undisputed fight against the winner of Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk a possibility for later in the year.
Bruno is looking forward to seeing Whyte in a title bout and believes the Brixton fighter could challenge Fury.
“It's a good fight, Dillian Whyte is very powerful. Tyson Fury is dangerous and can box,” added Bruno.
Advert
“What he's learned, Dillian Whyte wouldn't know, it would break him. If [Whyte] hits Fury he'll hit the floor.
“Tyson Fury is going to show him some movements and upset him. He can adapt. If you're southpaw he can southpaw, if you dig deep he can dig deep.
“He fought the most dangerous man on the planet, Deontay Wilder, who threw his toys out of the pram.”
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Boxing, Heavyweight Boxing, Tyson Fury