Tyson Fury: The Incredible Story Behind His Name
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Tyson Fury is an incredible individual in many ways, being a two-time world heavyweight champion with 32 consecutive victories under his belt.
However, he also has a pretty fantastic and memorable name, which sounds tailor-made for a future boxing superstar.
Although you might be forgiven for thinking this name is too good to be true, Tyson Fury is in fact Fury’s real name. And there’s a brilliant story behind his parents’ unusual choice.
Back in December, Dillian Whyte accused Fury of really being called ‘Luke’, claiming that he changed it to Tyson in a bid to sound ‘harder’.
Speaking with The Sun, Whyte claimed he knows ‘his real name is Luke’, and encouraged boxing fans to research this allegation online:
In boxing, the name Tyson is a lot more sellable than Luke. A lot of what Tyson does and says is a game, you can never take anything he says seriously or at face value. He might say he wants to fight me sometimes but how can you trust a man who doesn’t even use his own name?
These accusations ultimately led to Fury’s own father John coming forward with the real story of how his son was named. And what a story it is.
As per The Star, John, 57, explained that his son was just ‘a pound in weight’ at the time of his premature birth and ‘very weak’.
Doctors told John that the tiny baby probably wouldn’t make it, but John refused to give up, giving him a name that reflected strength and resilience:
I said to all them doctors, he won’t be small, I said he’ll be nearly 7ft tall, 20 stone, the next heavyweight champion of the world.
I thought, ‘There’s only one name fitting for him, he’s fought hard to become a person living in this world’. Mike Tyson was the best in the world at that time. Tyson Luke Fury – that’s his name.
In 2014, Fury opened up about his nickname, The Gypsy King, during an interview with BBC Sport, revealing that his traveller heritage was key to his decision to pursue a boxing career:
Boxing is a key element of the travelling culture. Before anything else, you learn how to fight.
Whereas in other cultures little kids will kick a ball about, we’re punching hands. When we have a dispute we’re not supposed to go to the police, we’re supposed take our shirts off, go outside and sort it out with fisticuffs.
To be a good fighting man is one of the best things you can ever be in life.
One can only imagine how proud John is now to see his son rise as one of the greatest fighters in boxing history.
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Topics: Sport, Boxing, Now, Tyson Fury
