John Fury
John Fury | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Fury |
| Known for | Professional boxing |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Children | Tyson Fury, Shane Fury, Roman Fury, Hughie Fury, Tommy Fury |
John Fury is an Irish boxing cornerman and former professional boxer[2] and bare-knuckle fighter. He is best known for being the father of two-time heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson Fury, as well as professional boxer and reality television star Tommy Fury. He is also uncle to heavyweight boxer Hughie Fury.
Background
 | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (March 2020) |
Fury was born in Tuam, Galway, Ireland into a family of Irish Traveller heritage. Fury descends from a long line of bare-knuckle fighters some of which include King of the Gypsies, Bartley Gorman, Uriah Burton and Bartholomew Gorman I, commonly known as a Boxing Bartley. Fury was born in Ireland but spent most of his life in Manchester, England.
As well as being a professional boxer, Fury has also said that he has been involved in hundreds of bare-knuckle bouts.
Fury has reportedly stated that the fights he did have were "usually over within seconds", and that he "wasn't an especially big puncher", but that he would "not stop swinging until they were out cold, I’d hit them with fists, elbows, head, teeth and feet until they dropped and give best [surrendered]".
Boxing career
Fury's professional boxing career spanned eight years, beginning in April 1987 and ending in June 1995. In total, he was involved in 13 bouts.[2]
He made his professional debut on 28 April 1987 when he lost to rugby league player Adam Fogerty in Halifax, West Yorkshire. From there Fury went on to win his next six fights until a draw with David Hopkins in Helsinki on 13 February 1989.[2]
He was rewarded by a shot at the vacant Central Area title against Neil Malpass but lost on points.
After that he rebounded with wins against Michael Murray, a future British title challenger and Cesare Di Benedetto, a future Italian title challenger.
However in his next fight Fury suffered a devastating KO loss against future WBO champion Henry Akinwande.
This chilling KO led to a four year absence from the ring until Fury returned against former victim Steve Garber in Manchester in 1995; he was knocked out again inside four rounds.
Fury finished his career with the record of 8–4–1.[2]
Public image
Fury is well known in the boxing world and has been involved in many high-profile situations whilst supporting his son Tyson. After Tyson Fury defeated reigning 11-year champion Wladimir Klitschko in Düsseldorf on 27 November 2015, John Fury heavily criticised the media for the lack of faith they placed in his son before the fight. In the much-publicised speech at a post-fight press conference, Fury instructed the media to "stop being yes men" and ordered everybody in the room to give his son a standing ovation for his achievement.[3]
In the build-up to Tyson's rematch with Deontay Wilder, Fury was involved in a heated dispute with former heavyweight boxer David Haye over his son's chances before the fight. Fury stated that Wilder would 'crack' given that Tyson was no longer "as weak as a kitten" unlike in their previous controversial draw. He told BT Sport, "A man when he's pressured and he's in a hard time, he'll crack at the seams", before offering Haye a £1,000,000 bet on whether he would be proven correct, which he was.[4]
More recently, Fury appeared in the ITV documentary series Tyson Fury: The Gypsy King detailing the road to his son's rematch with Wilder.[5] Fury appears many times but most notably in one of the final scenes showing his live reaction to the fight as he watched on a television at the BT Studios.[5]
In March 2022, John Fury was confirmed as a brand ambassador[6] for the sports betting website, Freebets.com.
Criminal conviction
In 2011, Fury was found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm for gouging a man's eye out in a brawl in 2010. He was handed an 11-year sentence. The victim was left half-blind after a 12-year dispute erupted in violence at a car auction in 2010, with Fury getting the victim in a headlock and forcing his fingers into the victim's eyes.[7][8] He was released from prison in February 2015.[9]
Media appearances
Fury has appeared on multiple British television broadcasters, including live shows, pre-recorded programmes and documentaries. On 20 February 2020, he appeared on the ITV show This Morning before Tyson's rematch with Wilder, reassuring viewers that "Tyson is at his strongest now".[10]
On 13 February, he appeared on breakfast television show Good Morning Britain discussing his son's mental health, as well as his view on his younger son Tommy Fury's involvement in the ITV2 reality television series Love Island.[11]
Professional boxing record
| 13 fights | 8 wins | 4 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 1 | 2 |
| By decision | 7 | 2 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Loss | 8–4–1 |  Steve Garber
|
KO | 4 (6), 2:11 | 10 Jun 1995 | G-Mex Centre, Manchester, England
|
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| 12 | Loss | 8–3–1 | Henry Akinwande
|
KO | 3 (8) | 9 Oct 1991 | G-Mex Centre, Manchester, England
|
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| 11 | Win | 8–2–1 |  Cesare Di Benedetto
|
PTS | 10 | 16 Feb 1991 | Pavilion, Thornaby, England
|
|
| 10 | Win | 7–2–1 | Michael Murray
|
RTD | 6 (8), 3:00 | 2 Jun 1990 | G-Mex Centre, Manchester, England
|
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| 9 | Loss | 6–2–1 | Neil Malpass
|
PTS | 10 | 21 Jun 1989 | Brodsworth Miners Welfare Club, Doncaster, England
|
For vacant Central Area heavyweight title |
| 8 | Draw | 6–1–1 |  David Hopkins
|
MD | 6 | 13 Feb 1989 |  Töölö Sports Hall, Helsinki, Finland
|
|
| 7 | Win | 6–1 | Abner Blackstock
|
PTS | 8 | 26 Sep 1988 | Grand Hotel, Leicester, England
|
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| 6 | Win | 5–1 | Ian Priest
|
PTS | 6 | 29 Mar 1988 | European SC, Kings Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, England
|
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| 5 | Win | 4–1 | Michael Murray
|
PTS | 6 | 23 Feb 1988 | Civic Sports Centre, Oldham, England
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| 4 | Win | 3–1 | Mick Cordon
|
PTS | 6 | 3 Dec 1987 | Irish Centre, Leeds, England
|
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| 3 | Win | 2–1 | Paul Sheldon
|
PTS | 4 | 10 Nov 1987 | Variety Club, Batley, England
|
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| 2 | Win | 1–1 | Steve Garber
|
PTS | 6 | 7 Oct 1987 | Cat's Whiskers, Lancashire, England
|
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| 1 | Loss | 0–1 | Adam Fogerty
|
PTS | 4 | 28 Apr 1987 | North Bridge Leisure Centre, Halifax, England
|
References
- ^ Casey, Jamie (14 April 2016). "John Fury says Tyson does not command respect as he's a Traveller". The Irish Post. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d "BoxRec John Fury | BoxRec". boxrec.com. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- ^ "Tyson Fury's father John delivers rant at press conference |". SkySports.com. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- ^ "David Haye and John Fury clash over Deontay Wilder rematch with Tyson Fury |". metro.co.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Watch as John Fury grabs his crotch and shouts, 'That's what come out of these balls,' after Tyson Fury knocks down Deontay Wilder |". talkSport. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- ^ https://www.igbaffiliate.com/news/john-fury-joins-freebetscom-as-brand-ambassador/
- ^ "Tyson Fury's father keen to help his son after prison release". BBC News. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Father of boxing champion Tyson Fury jailed for gouging a man's eye out after a 12 year feud over a bottle of beer". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
- ^ Dickinson, Matt (30 November 2015). "Sorry, but we should not salute this appalling bigot Tyson Fury". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ "John Fury believes Tyson Fury is at his Strongest Now |". ITV. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- ^ "Tyson Fury's Dad talks the Boxer's Mental Health & Tommy Fury on Love Island |". GMB. Retrieved 24 March 2020.