Tyson Fury reflects on the long, hard road that has led him to the cusp of realising a 'most unexpected' dream when he faces Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title; watch Usyk and Fury face off in Saudi Arabia on May 18, live on Sky Sports Box Office
Tuesday 14 May 2024 06:04, UK
Tyson Fury has aspirations we can all understand. “My dream was to have a wife, have children. Be a good dad. That’s always been my dream. Have Sunday dinners, have a family picnic,” he told Sky Sports.
But he's chosen something else as well. He chose to become a world heavyweight champion. It's a goal he's been running towards since he was a child.
This Saturday he finally has the chance to become the world heavyweight champion. At the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia, live on Sky Sports Box Office, he will fight against Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF title belts. The winner will be the undisputed champion, the first heavyweight of the four-belt era to hold that office.
"It's happening, it's about to happen and here's the thing, something I've never done, something people have been waiting for. You feel like the whole world's waiting for it," Fury told Sky Sports.
"What more can a man do? I've got millions of dollars in the bank, I've got a wonderful wife. I've got loads of kids. I've got dogs, I've got nice cars, I've got jewellery, I've got clothes, I've got accolades, I've got fame, I've got fortune. People are inspired by me.
"I wrote three books, I've done WWE, I've sung with Robbie Williams. I've done a song of Sweet Caroline. I've done a hit Netflix documentary. I've done a hit ITV doc. I've been two-time undefeated world heavyweight champion, and I've won 23 belts along the way.
"I've rocked it," he boomed. "I've absolutely smashed it. Home run every single day. Steak and lobster for every meal going on from now to eternity."
He didn't even dream of this. When his feet were hitting the road, pounding along to Jimmy Egan's gym in Manchester, all he wanted was to beat Wladimir Klitschko and win his titles. Fury did that, over eight years ago.
"My goal was to be undefeated heavyweight champion and beat Wladimir Klitschko. Other than that everything else has been a bonus, and I mean a bonus, because after I beat Klitschko I didn't even want to box anymore," he explained.
After that remarkable Klitschko victory, Fury didn't compete again for more than two years. He struggled with mental health, his weight sky-rocketed.
"Because my Everest was climbed," he said. "The two biggest goals of my life, one stone, beating Klitschko and becoming world champion. I had nothing else to prove and I thought to myself if I come back, which there was no certainty of me coming back after that, then I'll come back and I want to make as much money as possible and I want to enjoy every moment and that's exactly what I've done."
The man from Morecambe would stage an astonishing return to come through a trilogy of fights against ferocious puncher Deontay Wilder to emerge with the WBC championship.
He is now one fight away from cementing his place in the history of his sport. Victory over Usyk would confirm him as the best heavyweight of his generation.
"You will not get more open and honest answers than I will ever give you. Because I speak from the heart. I speak the truth. I could easily glitz it up and say: 'Oh my God, I'm ecstatic, it's amazing, undisputed, something I've always dreamed.' No, it ain't, it was never my goal," Fury said.
"It's never really been a quest of mine and that's just being honest. I've always said it was other people's dream. It was Joshua's dream to be undisputed. It's no lie, it's all he ever talked about his whole career, 'Road to Undisputed…' It's never been my dream.
"To be an undisputed heavyweight champion of the world is a bonus and I'll take it no problem. Just like I'll take a million dollars if you give it to me out of the cupboard. I'll take it, but I'm not expecting it. I never expected to be in this position."
He might not have imagined this. But still from the beginning he believed he could be special.
"Years ago, I was just a kid with no money and just ambition," Fury said. "I always knew what I was capable of and what I was going to do and I always said it to everyone who would listen. And I've now achieved it."
He can't help but think back to the road he set out on, that eventually led him here.
"I was 20 minutes early after jogging three miles. I waited for the gym to open. First one in, last one to leave every single day. And people tell me: 'You're lucky you are you know. Lucky to be a champion.' Really lucky. Worked every day, since I've been a child, grinding and grafting and punching and getting punched. Not lucky," he said.
"I went on my feet. I jogged there, my brother would ride the bike with flat tyres on it and then we'd train for two hours, I'd jog back and he'd ride back three miles.
"They were hard, hard times. Being away in Holland, being in Belgium, being in Canada, being in America, being in Germany. Getting punched to pieces as a sparring partner. For no money. Fighting for no money.
"It's not been any easy rollercoaster. I wasn't an Olympic gold medallist. I wasn't the golden boy. I've come up the hard way. English, British, Commonwealth, European. Every Intercontinental title there is. Every world title there is. Twice. Ring magazine belt. Everything I've done has been the hard way. There was no railroad tracks for me to follow, I've done it off my own back."
Now he's almost made it.
"I'm still living my best life, living my dream life. Stuff I dreamed about when I was a child. Stuff I drew pictures of, boxing kits, ringwalks, designs, everything," Fury said.
"I'm like the Indian Summer that does not stop. Does that make any sense at all? Sometimes you get a bit of hot weather in September, don't you? I'm that - forever. It's been a crazy old time and I'm probably the most unexpected person ever… Ill-shaped, ill-bodied.
"Yet to go on to this, this far and this out of the stratosphere of that little kid jogging down the road, getting wet in the rain.
"Sometimes I think am I going to wake up any time soon? Is this a dream? I hope not."
It's one of the biggest sporting events in a generation. Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk collide for the undisputed world heavyweight championship on Saturday May 18, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book the fight now.
