By: Sean Crose
“I don’t need a trainer,” former world heavyweight titlist Tyson Fury told the Five Live podcast, via the BBC. “I don’t need a nutritionist, I don’t need a mind coach, I don’t need a sleep coach and I definitely don’t need a strength coach.” Give Fury this – he’s never boring. In the lead up to his April 11th comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov, the towering Englishman has apparently decided to go it alone. “Here’s what I need in boxing,” he said, “someone to wash my gumshield out and give me some water between rounds, and give me a smear of Vaseline across the eyes, and leave the rest to me.” Fury, it seems, feels he has a “PhD in boxing.”
Perhaps he does – but this latest move seems to fly in the face of hundreds of years of boxing prep. Even John L Sullivan, the first champion to fight under the Queensbury Rules had a trainer named William Muldoon who helped him train for a bare knuckled war against Jake Kilrain way back in 1889. That was then, of course, and there’s know doubt that Fury likes to do his own way. The question is whether or not Fury is serious about all this. At the moment at least, he seems to be.
About a week ago, Fury posted a huge sumptuous, breakfast he was having on Instragram. “My nutritional program is called Eat like a man,” he wrote in his robust, grammatically incorrect style.” i’m doing my own nutrition. IM an old school fighter so ill eat like 1, watch me fly through 12 rounds. 2026 the new GK, after spending time with some Legendary old school trainers i learned a lot over the years! winning fights and becoming a champion is all in the mind, have faith and it will be done i remember Manny saying a happy fighter is a dangerous 1.”[sic].
Fury is the type of individual who simply demands attention. Aside from his height and enormous build, the guy naturally stands out due to a booming voice and an outspoken nature. He’s also one of the better smack talkers in a business loaded with them. He’s a showman through and through – something that’s worth keeping in mind. For all anyone knows he’ll be back in business with SugarHill Steward when all is said and done. That’s one reason why Fury brings in so much attention – because he makes it a point to demand it.
