Tyson Fury was widely regarded as one of the best active heavyweights until his back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, but it seems it was his domestic rival who got the better of him many years ago.
Tyson Fury‘s record suffered a second hit recently as the Morecambe man lost to pound-for-pound elite Oleksandr Usyk on a unanimous decision in their rematch.
The far heavier Fury was just not sharp enough to match Usyk’s excellence. Fury has since declared his retirement, but fans are still hopeful that he will return to face domestic foe Anthony Joshua.
However, if this sparring tale has any truth to it, maybe Fury would rather stay retired.
Tyson Fury was rocked in spar with Anthony Joshua, coach says
In an interview by iFL TV, Joshua’s amateur coach, Sean Murphy, speaks on the time Fury, a rising professional, sparred Joshua, who once blasted Lennox Lewis, who had not yet turned over from the amateur ranks and hadn’t even fought in the Olympics yet.
Murphy says: “I think he thought this is just gonna be a walk in the park, but, he come out, he’s sort of laid back, relaxed, Joshua walked over and just went uppercut, left hook, and he was wobbling.”
Murphy the broke down the fight: “In the first round, Josh done what he wanted really because he sort of dazed him […] In the second round, he’s come out and he starts talking to Josh, so he’s getting in Josh’s head a little bit.”
He admits that Fury took that round, and that he was angry with his charge’s performance.
“He went out there and boxed his head off in the third round.”
Murphy said he didn’t let Fury get a fourth round, as his team wasn’t paying Joshua.
“He gave me a beating”… Tyson Fury admits Anthony Joshua beat him up in that spar
In a call with Steve Bunce, Fury, who almost fought David Haye, gave his side of the spar: “If I’d have had a weak chin like David Price I’d have been knocked out for a month.”
“He came at me for three rounds and he gave me a beating.”
Fury, who was dropped by unknown Neven Pajkic, sung Joshua’s praises: “He is very very very good. […] He’s the best amateur boxer in this country.”
“I don’t mind telling anyone that he beat me up in sparring.”
This, of course, was many years ago, and the pair have grown a lot since then, but, whilst it remains to be seen if Fury will take on the challenge, this is the closest we may have to seeing who would win the all-British blockbuster.
Fury and Joshua have six opponents in common, including Francis Ngannou, Dillian Whyte, and Wladimir Klitschko.