Inside Tyson Fury's corner ahead of rematch with Oleksandr Usyk
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The debate after the first fight centred around the corner. Did John Fury have too much influence? Why was the father of Tyson Fury even in there with trainer SugarHill Steward and Andy Lee? There have been no sightings so far this week of John, and Steward has confirmed he will not be in the corner.
The last time at this stage of the fight week he had already spilled his own blood by headbutting a member of Oleksandr Usyk’s team. Drama often follows him. Fury, 36, is unperturbed but those around him didn’t see the fuss with the corner like those outside the team did after he lost his unbeaten record in the undisputed heavyweight showdown with Usyk back in May.
“John is his dad and he is a father looking after his son,” said Lee, the former world middleweight champion and cousin of Fury. “I don’t think anything John said was wrong. He was saying the right things. Sugar says after round 11, don’t have to throw them hard, just throw them light and John was saying or reiterating the same thing. I was told, unequivocally, that he was two rounds down, and he needs the last two rounds.
“I knew that so I’m not going to not say that. If I’m fighting I want to know that. I want to know if I’m losing or if I need a knockout to win the fight. “That was my advice - you have to win the last two rounds - win these these last two rounds you will win the fight.”.
Lee - a veteran of 39 professional fights and an Olympian as an amateur - has been around boxing too long to be concerned about criticism. He’s had it as a fighter and he has had it as a trainer, a career he is still carving out alongside the rejuvenated Joseph Parker. “I don’t care about the criticism anyways,” said Lee, as he jetted in to be part of Fury’s team for the rematch this weekend. “When you lose you’re open to criticism. When Joseph lost to [Joe] Joyce, we all got criticism.
