Tyson Fury’s father says he warned his son against both Oleksandr Usyk fights
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Boxer Tyson Fury and his father do not appear to have a close, or even friendly, relationship, at least based on the elder Fury’s recent public comments.
“My relationship with Tyson is ruined,” John said during an appearance on Playbook Boxing. The claim stands in stark contrast to when John served as a mentor to his son.
John said the disagreement between father and son stemmed from Tyson’s decision to fight Oleksandr Usyk twice. He also touched on Tyson’s loss to Deontay Wilder, urging him to reject those matches.
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John Fury and Tyson Fury react at the press conference held before the Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou boxing match to be played at Boulevard Hall on October 26, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
“I begged and prayed to him before the first fight,” John said. “He had already gone through a full training camp and was cut last week. He was worn out in camp. You can’t just rest for three weeks and then go straight to seven weeks. That’s what happens.”
The “Gypsy King” lost back-to-back matches against Usyk. He lost by split decision in the first bout and by unanimous decision in the rematch.
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Fury announced his retirement in January 2025, about a month after his second defeat to Usyk.
“Hello everyone, I’ll make this short and sweet. I’d like to announce that I’m retiring from boxing,” Fury said at the time. “It was a great experience, I loved every minute of it, and I end it this way: Dick Turpin was wearing a mask. God bless everyone, see you on the other side.”
In January, Fury announced he planned to come out of retirement and return to boxing in 2026, but his father believes his best days are behind him.
Tyson Fury’s father, John Fury, before the Tyson Fury-Arslanbek Makhmudov press conference at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on February 16, 2026. (Harry Murphy/Getty Images)
“I think he did the best he could,” John said. “I’m a guy with no filter, I say it the way I see it. I love him, but there are too many people patting him on the back, telling him things that aren’t true, empowering him as if he’s invincible. He’s not, and hasn’t been for a while.”
Tyson Fury in the stands at the O2 arena in London on October 25, 2025. (Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images)
“I wanted to choke Sugar afterward,” John said, referring to the meetings with Usyk. “He’s not an Emanuel Steward; he’s nothing like him. He’s just the gym sweeper. That’s what he’s been until now.”
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Fury is scheduled to face Arslanbek Makhmudov in April.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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