Boxing’s loudest father has taken himself out of the biggest British heavyweight night in a generation. In an interview with Playbook Boxing, John Fury confirmed he will not be ringside at the Principality Stadium on December 11 when his son meets Anthony Joshua in Cardiff.
“I’ll be honest with you, no. No I won’t be attending,” Fury senior said.
“Let me tell you, you have more chance of seeing a cow fly than me bothering with it.”
He gave two reasons: he does not want to be in the room with the people building the fight, and he fears for both heavyweights’ long-term health.
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“I don’t like the people in it, and I know accidents can happen.”
“It has become dangerous for him and Joshua. For me it is an accident waiting to happen.”
The Ben Davison wound is still open
The chaos around the Fury camp predates John Fury’s withdrawal. Anthony Joshua has reunited with Ben Davison, the coach who guided Tyson Fury through his comeback years, and John Fury has not hidden his anger about it.
“Tyson gave him the biggest leg up in the world and what’s he done now? Traitored him. This is what you’re dealing with, horrible,” he told the same Playbook Boxing interview.
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Tyson Fury himself has been colder than furious. He told Boxing News that Joshua going back to Davison tells its own story.
“It’s the same Ben Davison he left because he wasn’t good enough one fight ago. He left Ben Davison for a reason now he’s gone back begging him to train him. Mentally weak is what I see.”
One fight, no safety net
There will be no second chance for either man in Cardiff. Promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed to Sky Sports News that there is no rematch clause in the deal, which means the loser walks out of the Principality without a built-in route back.
“No rematch clause. It’s one fight, one-off,” Hearn said.
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“But for our mindset, it’s one and done. Go in there, end this guy and on we go.”
John Fury has been the loudest voice in Tyson Fury’s corner for every major night of his career, from the Wladimir Klitschko shock in Düsseldorf to the Deontay Wilder trilogy. On December 11 in Cardiff, that seat will be empty.
Tickets for Fury vs Joshua go on general sale on Friday, October 9, at noon local time via Ticketmaster, with an eight-ticket limit per household.
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