Tyson Fury faces a far tougher walk in the next six months than any taken out of a Morecambe pub, writes RIATH AL-SAMARRAI… losing to Oleksandr Usyk will have left some very deep scars
- Tyson Fury was spotted leaving a pub in Morecambe looking worse for wear
- The Gypsy King recently suffered his first professional defeat against Oleksandr Usyk
- The heavyweights will now meet again on December 21
Three weeks ago, in the wake of losing his share of the world heavyweight championship to Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury outlined how he would spend some time before getting back into the rut.
“We’ve been kicking each other’s ass for 12 rounds, so I’m going to go home, eat something, have a few beers, have some family time, walk the dog, go to the tip,” he said.
After having a few beers and falling on the pavement in Morecambe on Friday evening, it appeared he had kept his word.
If Fury will have one regret, it’s that a night out these days has a way of going viral on social media when you’re one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. Just as predictably will be those who link the images to his past excesses and speculate on a new descent into trouble.
Such guesswork runs the risk of masking a wild overreach in a few worrying characters online. It also undermines an athlete’s right to downtime after spending months in two training camps for the Usyk fight. A fight from which he will have to heal on a number of levels.
Tyson Fury (green jacket) had to be escorted out of a bar in Morecambe and later collapsed
Fury (left) recently suffered the first defeat of his professional career against Oleksandr Usyk (right)
I’ve never been Fury’s biggest fan. Before the fight for the undisputed title, I described him as the most despicable British sporting giant.
I maintain that view, but falling out of a bar drunk is not part of the discussion. I’m more of the opinion that anyone who gets to their feet after what Usyk threw in the ninth round is entitled to a stiff drink.
That said, there is a date in the diary for a rematch – December 21 – and at 35, fair questions can be asked about whether Fury is capable of changing the outcome.
It will have left deep scars to see all his trickery, deceit and advantages in height and weight fall short on the biggest night of his career. That it was his first professional loss means his technical and tactical improvements must take place alongside the equally massive task of rebuilding his confidence, because no boxer, even Fury, emerges from defeat as the same person who entered the ring.
In a video published online, the 35-year-old looked worse for wear during a night out
The heavyweight broke ground in Morecambe on Tuesday afternoon when the clips went viral
Fury was pictured with his father John (right) in his hometown in the aftermath of the fighting
The planned rematch will now take more than six months, giving Fury time to recover from the heavy blows he received from Usyk
When that aura of invincibility wears off, rivals may not see you the same way, and those who pass judgment on unflattering social media videos, but those cuts often pale in comparison to the internal doubts.
From that perspective, Fury is in for a much tougher walk over the next six months than he ever faced on the way out of a pub in Morecambe.