The Fury Factor
Tyson Fury is an enigma, a one-time fringe contender known mainly for his out-of-ring antics and outspoken outbursts that persistently landed him in trouble with the British Boxing Board of Control.
Today, he is a heavyweight champion and on course to possibly unify the heavyweight division for the first time since Lennox Lewis in 2000. He is a man many look up to, having battled demons and still come out on top. He is now not just an character out of the ring but a British boxing legend on the inside and inspiration to many.
The unification of the world titles is his aim, with one man standing in the way of the dream fight: Deontay Wilder.
According to The Independent, he's set for a third and final fight with the Alabama native in October. The sports betting odds on Coral detail how Fury is the favourite for that bout, having won the last one emphatically, but it is set to be yet another close call with Wilder always capable of landing a lights out punch at any given time.
If the Gypsy King takes the crown once more, it paves the way for the bout that one everyone is eagerly anticipating: Fury against Anthony Joshua, if the latter can avenge his recent loss against the incredible Ukrainian, Usyk.
If Fury and Joshua win their return bouts, then the date with destiny will be set in stone, a defining fight in the career of both boxers. Fury already has a series of impressive fights behind him, all of which prove his versatility and reputation.
So without further ado, here are the five fights that define the career of the self-styled Gypsy King.
Derek Chisora (2011)
In 2011, Chisora and Fury were both 14-0, and they came together at Wembley Arena to contest Chisora's Commonwealth and British titles. Both men were eyeing a shot at Wladimir Klitschko's heavyweight title. It was his first fight of note, although he had been to Canada and defeated Zack Page seven months earlier. Chisora was favourite, but Fury scored a unanimous decision.
Derek Chisora (2014)
Three years later, the two men met again, but it was Chisora chasing a dream and Fury the favourite. Fury was 23-0, Chisora had lost three in a row at one stage, meaning it wasn't the close contest everyone billed it as in the run-up. Chisora was European Champion, and the two men were also facing off for the vacant British title. 'Del Boy' retired in the 10th and was left in Fury's wake as he progressed up the ranks.
Wladimir Klitschko (2015)
There was only one stop after Chisora part II, Klitschko. The big Ukrainian was on one of the longest runs as Heavyweight champion ever; he had made 18 successful defences in the second of his two reigns. He was undefeated in 11 years, and the world waited for the end of the Gypsy King. Instead, they got a tactical masterclass as Fury dumbfounded the critics to outbox the champion. He took a unanimous decision, stunning the world of boxing.
Sefer Seferi (2018)
Three years later, things had changed. Fury had stepped away from the ring due to personal issues, and it seemed as though his fairytale rise didn't have a happy ending. Instead, he battled back to fitness and stepped into the ring with Albanian Seferi. He'd lost just once, having recently stepped up to the Heavyweight division. The fight wasn't a classic, but it was a big victory for Fury, who hadn't just beaten his opponent in the ring, but his demons outside the arena, too.
Deontay Wilder (2020)
It would be easy, maybe lazy, to pick both Wilder fights. The first didn't define Fury as such; some feel a weak judge cost him his big moment. Their controversial draw meant a rematch, with Wilder the defending champion. Fury came into the ring with momentum, believing he'd been robbed of victory in the first fight. He never gave Wilder an inch, knocking him down twice, before Wilder's corner threw in the towel in the 7th round. It was described worldwide as a sensational victory, but is only the second part of an exciting trilogy that has defined Fury and reinvented heavyweight boxing.