The ‘Gypsy King’ has given his heavyweight backing to a gypsy prince
World title challenger Tyson Fury is tipping unbeaten Tommy Ward to conquer the planet at super-bantamweight.
Unbeaten Ward is, like Fury, from the travelling community, and is on the verge of fighting for the sport’s ultimate prize, having been rated number four by the World Boxing Organisation.
Similar to Fury, the 25-year-old is an incredible boxing talent who uses his speed of brain, hands and feet to take apart opponents.
Ward has already made his mark in the USA, winning a WBO eliminator with Jesse Angel Hernandez to clinch the vacant NABA-USA super-bantam belt into the bargain.
So far, Ward has done his talking in the ring, but man-mountain Tyson has no hesitation in shouting from the rooftops about his diminutive but dazzling friend from County Durham.
"He has already won the British title, he moved up in class and won in America, knocking the lad down," said the 30-year-old heavyweight who has announced a WBC heavyweight re-match with Deontay Wilder.
"I was very impressed with that performance and I think he's going to get a world title shot next.
"At the highest level you need the ability to box and Tommy can hit as well, putting Hernandez down with the left hook.
"It was a great shot."
Ward’s unanimous points success over Hernandez in February was shown live in the UK by BoxNation and in the States by Showtime, terrific exposure on both sides of the pond.
Fury, who stopped Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas recently, and boxed superbly against Wilder in December when he was desperately unlucky to be awarded only a draw, believes winning in America is vital to a British boxer’s career.
“100 hundred per cent,” declared the man who became the unified world champion back in 2015 when he beat the legendary Wladimir Klitschko.
“Every great fighter from this country needs to go to America to make it into the big time.
“I’d love to see Tommy box on one of my shows, 100 per cent.”
Fury, who has overcome mental health problems to get back to the top of the world, is known for his ebullient approach but insists MTK-promoted Ward can do it his own way.
"Tommy doesn't have the routine as me," said Fury.
"I've got an out-going personality, I am a natural-born talker and entertainer.
"But Tommy has his own unique style.
"His style is as a nice, genuine, hard-working family man, so he doesn't need to talk bull like me.
"Tommy needs to keep doing what he's doing, keep winning, and now he's with MTK he will move.
"He's already shown he's the best in Britain at his weight and he should go on to win titles."
Boxing out of North-East fighting town, Hartlepool, Ward has won all 26 of his contests, with two of his last four victories coming inside the distance as he has increased his power.
The ex-British and IBF European champion is coached by former pro, Neil Fannan, and managed by Dave Garside, a British and Commonwealth title contender in his own career.