Tyson Fury did an interview with IFL TV on Monday, October 30th, the day before Halloween about his fight with Francis Ngannou, which has turned into a humiliating and humbling aspect of his career. Though Fury was a healthy favorite over the pro debuting and boxing novice Francis Ngannou, it was Ngannou who won over the hearts of many dropping Fury in the third round with a left hook heard around the world, and despite losing a split decision seemingly won in the eyes of many.
Fury said the following to the IFL.
"It wasn't my best performance, but I am not going to make any excuses," said Fury to IFL TV. "It was a blow par performance, but take nothing away from the other man. You are only as good as your opponent."
Fury was quick to take aim at the media and 'boxing experts' as he put it who labeled this fight as an 'easy fight'. Fury reassured the interviewer that he took Ngannou very seriously and furthered that if he hadn't trained hard he would've lost.
"If I had of listened to media or so-called pro boxing experts, 'oh it is easy fight, it is a mismatch, it is not worth watching', then I wouldn't have been able to win that fight," stated Fury. "He was a lot more awkward than I thought he'd be, and he was walking [into] me. He was just an awkward man, he was good at what he was doing. Fair play to him, he gave me a better fight than all the boxers did in the last ten years. I think that has been my toughest fight I have had in years."
The undercurrent seems to be frustration. Since the Deontay Wilder trilogy concluded, Fury has taken three rather lackluster fights in Dillian Whyte, a Derek Chisora and now a vanity fight with Francis Ngannou. Fury once seen as one of the pillar of the sport of boxing, now is going to back an image once cast of him prior after he defeated Wladimir Klitschko and then became an inactive fighter.
"Maybe he won the ten-eight round, and one other round, but other than that I would just box him, and he couldn't really close the distance," said Fury. "I’m not a judge, but I can clearly see he didn’t win the fight by the punch stats. If he did win the fight, they would have given it to him.
The lackluster performance seems to put a halt to a super-fight on the horizon which was a rumored and prematurely announced fight between Tyson Fury versus Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight world title. The bout was announced as happening on December 23rd, but no word has been given about what will happen. In regards to Usyk, Fury said the following.
“I’m fighting Usyk next," stated Fury.
Now we have to determine when that will be as it appears Usyk's team is making demands that the fight has to happen by December 23rd or Fury should have to give up his title. With Fury nothing is ever simple, and this is further proof of that.
