‘I don’t hate you, Charlotte’: How Tyson Fury broke the ice as I came face-to-face with the Gypsy King for the first time since that bombshell interview with his father John

It’s been 22 days since my interview with John Fury went viral and today was the day I came face to face with Tyson Fury.

I would be lying if I said there wasn’t the slightest hint of uncertainty as I walked into the room.

Boxing is a small world, but it’s also a proud world. Words travel fast, and John’s words had gone far. His frank and sometimes brutal assessment of whether his son should return to the ring set the sport on fire. Inevitably, my name was somewhere in the middle of this storm.

So yeah, there was a moment right before the door opened where I wondered how this was going to go.

Will Tyson get angry? Cold? Distance?

The answer came quickly and definitively.

Fury spoke to me just 22 days after my interview with his father John went viral, with him saying his relationship with his son was ‘completely devastated’.

Tyson destroyed the tension the moment I walked in. He met the tension head on, making light of everything said and written in the previous weeks, with that familiar grin that could disarm a room in seconds.

“I don’t hate you, Charlotte,” he said playfully, while also acknowledging that in his own way, his father could be unpredictable with what he said. According to him, nothing had changed.

And so all doubts disappeared.

So, once the air cleared, I felt it was right to address the problem properly. I asked if he felt comfortable talking about his father’s comments.

“I am an open book,” he said without hesitation.

For someone who spoke so candidly about the darkest periods of his life (alcohol, drugs, depression), this was clearly not a topic he would avoid.

And with that, we got into it.

“I take his comments to be those of a concerned parent,” Tyson told me. ‘My father wanted me to retire six years ago; After a while, he said that even two years would be enough.

‘You did an incredible thing. You’re a two-time heavyweight champion, you’re undefeated, you’ve got millions in the bank, you’re in one piece; What more is there to prove?

‘But this has nothing to do with proving anything. I’m not here to prove anything to anyone on Saturday night. I’m not here for the money – of course money is always good; everyone wants a little more, which is always great. But that’s not actually why I’m here.

‘It’s about doing something I love, for what feels like an eternity. Growing up, I always wanted to be the heavyweight champion of the world, and that’s what I became. I won every championship there is in boxing. So for me at this stage of my career it’s not about the belts, it’s not about the money; It’s not about any of this.

‘It’s about my love of the game and the love of the fighting business that I’m in. For someone who is 37 years old, has accomplished everything and is financially secure, to want to endure the pain and torture it takes to get into fighting shape – 16 weeks away from family, 16 weeks of getting punched, running, training and everything else – you really have to love the game, and I still do.

As for those who say, “Oh, he might be done,” I honestly want to prove them wrong. But more than that, I just want to enjoy it and have fun out there and do what I always do; enjoy and have fun.

‘I’m really having fun at camp and I feel like I’m doing my best. Frankly, I don’t remember ever feeling as happy as this time in any camp. I don’t know what the reason is; Maybe it’s Thailand. This is a lovely place and a great, positive environment for training. I think that has a lot to do with it.’

Fury destroyed any tension when he met me with that familiar grin that could neutralize a room in seconds.

Fury (pictured with me in 2023) was in fine form and an ‘open book’ throughout our conversation.

John Fury claimed that Tyson no longer had legs, that he was not the fighter he was in the Wilder trilogy, and that perhaps his best days were behind him. Tyson wasn’t having it.

‘I’ll find out immediately. I’ll find out what I’ve got left in 10 seconds on Saturday night. But honestly I already know that. Remember, I sparred 10 rounds, 12 rounds. I did all the workouts with three or four different guys and yeah, I didn’t lose a single round in the gym and I put myself through hell and high water for that. So I’m really prepared for a 12 man fight or a knockout either way. There is no truth in me being “done” or “over”.

‘I think I’m a different fighter than I was in the Klitschko fight 10 years ago. I’m not trying to be a Klitschko-era version of myself; I improved as a fighter. I learned my lesson from that fight. I fought Deontay Wilder in 2018 when we were both at our best. I was miles ahead on the scorecards, but I almost got knocked out in the 12th round because I couldn’t finish him off. I was swinging, poking, sliding, sliding, as everyone said; This was a difficult situation to understand. I invented this “jerky” style. That was me.

‘Yes, even if I was 12 laps ahead I could still be caught in the final round. As soon as the bell rang, I knew how to beat Wilder: apply pressure, get on the front foot and do damage. That’s exactly what I did for the next two fights and many fights after that.

‘So my style is to do damage while I still can, because I don’t want to be up 10 rounds and lose by knockout in the 10th round. I’d rather try to win by knockout myself. It’s not because I can’t slide, glide, and perform feints anymore; I can. But that kind of thing is okay, it’s like a flicking contest. You’re not doing any real harm. It’s a 12-round fight every time, and I don’t want to get into a 12-round fight. ‘I want a knockout.’

While he acknowledges the inevitable wear and tear that comes with age, he refuses to see it as a limitation.

‘No fighter, of any age, whether 27 or 37, can walk into a camp and come out completely unscathed. After 16 weeks of training there will always be minor injuries, minor injuries and some wear and tear, but you learn to deal with it and move on. This is it. My body is in the best shape it can be for boxing. Of course, there are always little things, but there is nothing to complain about. I feel absolutely amazing, completely refreshed and ready to perform as always.

Gypsy King revealed he perceived his father’s comments as those of a worried parent

Fury also emphasized that he was a different fighter compared to his 2015 bout against Wladimir Klitschko, but said he felt “I’m back to my best”.

‘There I was completely renewed [Thailand] There is sunshine, great educational facilities and great experiences to be there. And I had a great training camp. By the time the fight came around on Saturday, I had been in camp for 16 weeks, which means one week for every month I was out, which I thought was enough. Wow, yes. 16 months out, 16 weeks of training camp.’

He chuckled as he talked about what would happen after the fight. ‘I think a win against Arslanbek Makhmudov will send me straight back to the Isle of Man. Paris needs to be prepared. I’ve been away for three months. He may need a wheelchair. Who knows?’

Tyson Fury has a rare blend of confidence, charm and experience. He knows the whispers, the doubters, the naysayers, and he’s ready to face them all in the ring doing what he’s always done best: fight on his own terms for the love of the sport.

Saturday night is no ordinary comeback fight. For Tyson, it’s a statement: The Gypsy King isn’t done, in fact, he believes he’s only just begun.