John Fury has declared that his bond with son Tyson has been “destroyed completely” ahead of the heavyweight’s scheduled bout against Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11.
The 60-year-old has confirmed he will neither attend nor watch the contest, with the duo no longer on good terms.
“My relationship with Tyson is destroyed,” he stated in an explosive interview with the Daily Mail. “Boxing destroyed it completely.”
The elder Fury insisted he has never accepted money from his famous son, while also suggesting he helped mould the Gypsy King into the British boxing legend he is today.
“I’ve never taken £10 off him in my life and I never will,” he said.
“I don’t want Tyson’s money and I don’t need Tyson’s money.”
He added pointedly: “Don’t forget who built his story when he was a kid. He didn’t build it himself, did he? Me, his father.”
John offered a blunt assessment of his son’s current abilities, declaring him “past his best” and attributing the decline to the punishing trilogy against Deontay Wilder.
Tyson Fury will do battle with Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 | GETTY
“Tyson has been gone since the Deontay Wilder fights, they finished him,” he said.
“Wilder completely done him. He’s not got a leg underneath him.”
The father believes facing one of heavyweight boxing’s most devastating punchers three times inflicted permanent damage that no training camp can reverse.
“When you fight one of the hardest punchers in boxing history three times, it takes something out of you that you never get back,” he explained.
John Fury wants Tyson Fury to stay retired from boxing amid fears he’ll suffer brain damage
| GETTY
“You can’t refill that tank to what it once was.”
He also warned that Makhmudov poses a genuine threat to his 38-year-old son, who has been out of the ring for 18 months.
“Makhmudov is a problem for Tyson. I am the first one to say it,” he said.
John reserved his harshest words for trainer SugarHill Steward, whom he branded “useless” and “a complete waste of space.”
“He has been ruining Tyson,” John stated. “Everyone who’s been in that corner with Tyson has seen it. Everyone who has had him as a trainer has been beaten.”
He dismissed Steward’s training methods entirely, claiming the coach told him directly that the camp involves no roadwork, sprinting or swimming.
“Just pub-game analysis, darts-match-style prep,” John said. “What can you do with a man like that?”
The father also attacked Tyson’s wider entourage, describing them as hangers-on attracted by money and Netflix cameras rather than genuine commitment.
Tyson Fury previously retired from boxing after two defeats to Oleksandr Usyk | GETTY
“The team is b*****s – the lot of them,” he said.
“The other mates flew in with only two and a half weeks left, just to pick up a paycheck.”
Despite the venom in his criticism, John’s emotions surfaced visibly during the interview, his eyes reddening as he discussed the fractured relationship.
“I was 30 seconds away from asking for a break there,” he admitted. “I haven’t really expressed these emotions before but they’re strong and they’re there.”
He revealed he had urged Tyson to retire after the Derek Chisora fight, telling him: “Leave it, son. Retire as an undefeated champion of the world. You’ve proven everything. Bank full of money. Legacy is built already. So why are you doing this?”
His deepest concern centres on safety, fearing the current team lacks the judgment to protect his son in crisis.
“If he gets into trouble with them in his corner, he could end up dead or with brain damage for life,” John warned.
“They won’t throw the towel in.”
