Tyson Fury is known for being larger than life inside the ring and out, however after his most recent knockout victory, he celebrated with one beer and a pizza that never arrived.
‘The Gypsy King’ defended his WBC title against mandatory challenger, Dillian Whyte in May of this year. In front of the 90,000 strong Wembley crowd, Fury comprehensively beat Whyte, knocking him out in the sixth for a fairytale finish to his first fight at home since 2018.
In his new autobiography, Gloves Off, the champion reveals that there were no elaborate or extravagant celebrations to follow.
“There was no party that night. Rather than racking up a huge nightclub bar tab, we drove from Wembley to our Letchmore Heath hotel, only stopping at a petrol station to buy a packet of sweets and a four-pack of beer.
“One for me, one for Dad, one for Tommy and one for SugarHill. By the time we arrived back at base camp, everyone was shattered. I ordered a delivery pizza that never showed and went to bed, hungry but satisfied.”
It turns out that the moment of reflection with his trainer, SugarHill Steward, came the next morning – well deserved, given what the pair had accomplished together.
“When I woke the following morning and looked from my window I saw a lone figure sitting on a bench in the hotel garden. Was he drinking from a bottle of whisky? I checked my watch. It was 7am. Bit early, I thought.”
“Then when I looked again, I realised the bloke on the bench was SugarHill. I stuck my head out of the window. ‘What are you doing?’ SugarHill turned and waved the bottle at me. ‘I’m celebrating,’ he said. ‘We didn’t do it last night, so I’ve started this morning.’ ‘Right. Hold tight, pal. I’m coming down.’
“I took a couple of beers from the mini bar and joined SugarHill for a weird moment of reflection on that hotel garden bench. He’d found a quiet spot in front of a pond.
I sat down next to him and cracked open the first drink. SugarHill nodded and we toasted, our bottles clinking.”
Fury returns to the ring on December 3 to face Derek Chisora for the third time in his career.