Tyson Fury’s recent defeat to Oleksandr Usyk has sparked much debate within the boxing community, particularly regarding the advice given by Fury’s corner during the fight. The bout, which took place in May in Saudi Arabia, saw Fury almost stopped before losing on points. Since then, scrutiny has been directed at the corner’s strategy, which included input from head trainer SugarHill Steward, coach Andy Lee, and Fury’s father, John.
Fury’s uncle and former trainer, Peter Fury, has already voiced criticism of the corner’s advice, and now Tyson’s brother, Shane Fury, has echoed similar sentiments. In an interview with iFL TV, Shane candidly assessed their father’s role, stating, “My take is, deeply, truly, my honest opinion is my dad wants what’s the best for his son and the best for his son after he’s been put down and nearly out cold is to get him through the fight. F*** the boxing, you can be KO’d and not wake up. That’s his mentality ’cause he wants the best for his sons but sometimes when you want the best for someone it’s maybe not the best instructions. Them instructions is sometimes not what you need.”
Last month, Peter Fury emphasized the importance of having a singular voice in the corner. Speaking to October Red, he said, “There should only be one man in the corner, there shouldn’t be three or four. Some are too emotional in the corner and some are giving the wrong advice. I think the only one that spoke a little bit of sense in the last dying stretch of it was Sugar Hill, who said put it on him. When you go into fights, it doesn’t matter who it is, it could be a family member, but you’ve got to give precise clear information, and the thing I always say to the fighter is ‘are you listening, do you understand what I’ve just told you to do?’”
Peter further critiqued the chaotic atmosphere, noting, “There were too many people, but maybe Tyson wants that I don’t know, it’s been years since dealings with me. I don’t know what the situation is but clearly for me the game plan was wrong and only one should be speaking. How can you listen to all that? It’s going a bit panicky and it’s all over the place.”
Highlighting the need for professionalism in the corner, Peter added, “I’ve always said I can’t be bought in boxing. If someone is talking in the corner, I’d say shut your f***ing mouth now or get out the back. It’s happened before. I’m not having anything go on in that corner. You’re the bucket man, you wash the gumshield out, you wipe his head down, do not speak. That’s their instruction, and if they speak, when they get back to the dressing room, sacked on the spot. You’ve got to have a professional corner.”
The comments from both Shane and Peter Fury underline a critical issue in Tyson Fury’s camp – the need for clear, concise communication during fights. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how Tyson Fury will address these concerns in future bouts.
