Tyson Fury new look inspired by Santa Claus and Roy Keane
The undefeated heavyweight unveiled his new look this week and revealed the inspiration behind his facial hair.
'The Gypsy King' revealed that Santa Claus and Roy Keane are the inspiration behind his new look.
But Dereck Chisora can forget about receiving any gifts from his heavyweight rival when they step into the ring on November 29.
A mean and hungry Fury will be channelling his sporting idol and former Manchester United captain Keane as he tries to put a year of frustration behind him at the ExCel Arena in London’s Docklands. Fury unveiled his thick new beard when inviting the cameras into his Bolton training camp this week.
The undefeated former British and Commonwealth champion is a huge United fan and dreams of fighting at Old Trafford one day.
Explaining his facial hair, he said: “I’ve been growing it for six or seven weeks. It’s keeping my face warm for the winter.
Asked if Santa or Keane were the inspiration, Fury added: "They are both big idols of mine. “Santa Claus brings me the presents and Roy Keane is my sporting hero.”
Irishman Keane recently returned to a clean-shaven look after sporting a long grey beard for much of the year.
But Fury, from Wilmslow, has now taken on the mantle when it comes to facial hair. The 26-year-old is determined to get his career back on track after seeing two fights with David Haye fall through last year and a July showdown with Chisora postponed until this month.
The British and European titles will both be on the line in a bout that is also a final eliminator for Wladimir Klitschko’s WBO title.
Fury was a unanimous points winner when he faced Chisora in 2011 – and he has vowed to a repeat performance this time around. And with notoriously fierce competitor Keane as his inspiration, perhaps Chisora should be worried.