Mike Tyson has told the man who took his name Tyson Fury to “stay the f*** away from normal” as he bids to dominate the booming heavyweight division.
‘The Gypsy King’ has produced a comeback story for the ages by coming back to become king of boxing’s marquee division again after ballooning to 28 stone and having thoughts of taking his own life.
Fury says he’s now ready to dominate for years to come after taking the title from the previously unbeaten Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas in February. And his namesake ‘Iron Mike’ says it’s Fury’s colourful and troubled past which makes him the man he is today.
Mike Tyson on Tyson Fury
He told Ring magazine: “With Tyson, if he didn’t go through everything he’s been through, he wouldn’t be the person that he is today. The mental health issues? That’s why he’s the greatest, because he’s sick, and that’s being real.
Tyson – who is currently himself teasing the world with talk of a boxing comeback story of his own at the age of 53 – now says Fury should carry on exactly the way he is. Entertaining and winning.
“People want him to be normal. Yeah, be normal and go on the f***ing welfare line,” he said.
“Tyson doesn’t know what normal is. Tell him to stay the f*** away from normal; he wasn’t meant to be normal.”
Fury was named after ‘Iron Mike’ by his boxer dad John Fury after weighing in at just 1lb when born back on August 12, 1988. Doctors said his chances of even surviving were slim. But instead it was a fitting start to a life story which would make even movie script writers roll their eyes in disbelief.
The older Tyson meanwhile has caused a frenzy in the fight fraternity by looking incredible for a man of his age in recent training videos.
There has been talk of a third fight with Evander Holyfield – some 23 years after they last met – while Bob Arum said he would consider promoting a charity exhibition fight against Fury.
