By James Slater: In a most revealing interview with U.K tabloid The Daily Star, unbeaten heavyweight contender Tyson Fury has spoken of how he packed on five stone (70-pounds) just before Christmas and that it took him the best part of two months to “get his head straight and lose the weight.”
Speaking ahead of this coming Saturday’s important Irish title clash with Belfast’s Martin Rogan, the 23-year-old with the 17-0(12) pro ledger said it was when his son prince fell ill that the demons attacked his state of mind; allowing him to go on a junk food binge.
“I’ve had to lose a fair bit of weight,” Fury said. “After the problems with Prince before Christmas I wasn’t training because my head wasn’t right and I put on five stone. It took about two months to lose it. I was in hospital with him all the time while he was poorly, for a week. There was only a vending machine and a café and I was just eating junk food. Then I took Christmas off so I had to get it all off in training and it has killed me – but it’s been worth it.”
Fury, who claims he is now in better shape “than all my previous fights put together,” had better hope so. Sure, Rogan is 40-years-old and has been far from active as of late, but he is hugely motivated for Saturday’s night’s rumble and he can be expected to give his all. Will Fury’s sheer effort of losing so much weight have an effect on him come fight time? Certainly piling on and then losing such a vast amount of weight is far from ideal preparation for a big fight – even if Fury is a big, tall guy at 6’9” and around 257-pounds.
Fury, though, is sounding extremely confident going into his 18th pro fight, and he says a win will pave the way towards a shot at the Klitschkos.
“I want to make a statement in this fight and prove my critics wrong,” he said. “I’m going to reveal a new side of Tyson Fury and prove I’m ready for the Klitschkos.”
A stoppage win over “Rogie,”14-2(7) would look nice on Fury’s record, but as far as proving he is ready for the Klitschkos? Fury still has a ways to go before the majority of fight fans will feel he is that. Rogan can bang and I feel he will test the younger, bigger man’s chin at some point. Look for a lively affair that ends via late stoppage for Fury.