Paris Fury has confirmed her husband Tyson’s claims that they have not spoken during training camp ahead of his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk on December 21.
“I can’t give you much inside scoop, since we haven’t spoke[n] for weeks and weeks and weeks,” Paris told Kugan Cassius of IFL TV.
Paris said that due to his loss to Usyk in their first fight and the tumult of their personal lives beforehand – likely alluding primarily to a miscarriage she suffered, news of which reached Tyson shortly before his first fight with Usyk – Tyson adopted a more ascetic approach for the rematch. She added that she did not have a say in the decision.
“I just think he decided this on his own, and I had to support him in it,” Paris said. “He didn’t want to be involved in family life, so he’s cut himself off from us for the last few months, and he’s put himself in a serious, serious condition…if it’s what needed to be, then God willing tomorrow night, it’ll all come out, and it’ll all be good.”
The boxing world is split on what “serious condition” means for Tyson. He weighed in at a career-high 281lbs, 19lbs heavier than before the first fight, in which he had significant success boxing off the back foot. Given that Fury came into the Francis Ngannou fight at 277 and seemed woefully unprepared, if he is indeed in condition this time, the weight gain is tactical.
Since the first bout with Usyk, some have implored Fury to take a more aggressive tack in the rematch, jabbing from distance and leaning extra bulk on Usyk in close to drain the Ukrainian’s extraordinary stamina. Others, however, think that Fury will only hurt his own endurance by packing on the pounds and risks becoming a sitting duck in the late rounds if he cannot knock Usyk out early.
Whatever he worked on in camp, Tyson’s seclusion did little to help Paris take care of their large family. “I supported him in the decision, but it wasn’t the greatest thing to sit and not speak to your husband for a few months- a long time, actually,” Paris said, perhaps implying an even lengthier time frame than previously indicated.
Tyson explained his decision to TNT Sports, saying that splitting his time and identity between boxing and family would reduce his chances in the rematch. “I could go away for 20 years,” Fury said. “I don’t know why, it’s not that I don’t love my family, but if I’ve got a mission to do, I want to achieve it and accomplish it. I don’t miss them, I took myself out of that environment.”
“As long as he wins tomorrow night, everything’s worthwhile?” Cassius asked Paris.
“One hundred per cent,” she said. “I love him dearly and I hope everything goes perfectly how he wants it to go.”
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