Fury comes from a long lineage of bare-knuckle fighters, owing to his traveller roots. Alongside a professional boxing career, Fury has also said that he was involved in many bare-knuckle fights. 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 ".
Boxing career
Fury's professional boxing career spanned 8 years, beginning in April 1987 and ending in June 1995. In total, he was involved in 13 bouts. He made his professional debut on 28 April 1987 when he fought Adam Fogerty in Halifax, West Yorkshire. He went on to win his next 6 fights until a draw with David Hopkins in Helsinki on 13 February 1989. His last professional fight was reportedly against Steve Garber at the G-Mex Centre in Manchester in 1995.
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. In the buildup 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 is 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 £100,000 bet on whether he would be proven correct. More recently, Fury appeared in the ITVdocumentary series 'Tyson Fury: The Gypsy King' detailing the road to his sons rematch with Wilder. 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.
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". 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 ITV2reality television seriesLove Island.
