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Boxer Tyson Fury and his father do not appear to have a close — or even friendly — relationship, at least according to the elder Fury’s latest public comments.
“My relationship with Tyson is destroyed,” John said during an appearance on Playbook Boxing. The claim marks a stark contrast to the time when John served as a mentor to his son.
John said the rift between father and son stems from Tyson’s decision to fight Oleksandr Usyk twice. He also cited Tyson’s setback against Deontay Wilder after urging him to decline those bouts.
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John Fury and Tyson Fury react during a news conference ahead of the Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou boxing match at Boulevard Hall Oct. 26, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
“I begged and prayed with him before the first fight,” John said. “He’d already been through a full training camp, and then he got cut in the last week. He was worn out from that camp. You can’t just have three weeks rest and then go straight into another seven weeks. That’s what happened.”
“The Gypsy King” lost back-to-back bouts to Usyk. He lost via split decision in the first meeting and via unanimous decision in the rematch.
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Fury announced his retirement in January 2025, roughly one month after the second loss to Usyk.
“Hi everybody, I’m going to make this short and sweet. I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing,” Fury said at the time. “It’s been a blast, I’ve loved every single minute of it, and I’m going to end with this: Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody, see you on the other side.”
In January, Fury announced plans to come out of retirement and return to boxing in 2026, but his father believes his best days are behind him.
John Fury, father of Tyson Fury, before the Tyson Fury-Arslanbek Makhmudov news conference at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Feb. 16, 2026, in London. (Harry Murphy/Getty Images)
“I think he’s past his best,” John said. “I’m a no-filter kind of guy — I say it how I see it. I love him, but there are too many people patting him on the back and telling him things that aren’t true, building him up like he’s invincible. He’s not, and he hasn’t been for a while.
Tyson Fury in the stands at the O2 arena in London Oct. 25, 2025. (Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images)
“I felt like strangling Sugar afterwards,” John said in reference to the meetings with Usyk. “He’s no Emanuel Steward — he’s nothing like him. He’s just a gym sweeper. That’s all he ever was.”
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Fury is slated to face Arslanbek Makhmudov in April.
‘ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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