TYSON FURY at his absolute worst weighed 30 stone and looked like he would never step foot in a ring ever again.
But fellow British heavyweight Joe Joyce has revealed how even at his lowest ebb, Fury schooled him in sparring.
Joyce says he was no match even for a grossly overweight FuryCredit: Instagram @joejoyceboxing
The Gypsy King takes on WBC champ Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas on Saturday night looking for redemption for the controversial draw when they last met
Joyce, 34, is in Sin City too but preparing for his own showdown with Daniel Dubois on April 11 at London’s O2.
And no doubt still fresh in his memory is the sight of a fat Fury ducking all his best attempts to lay a glove on him.
Speaking to Vegas Insider, Joyce said: “I first sparred him in Bolton when he was 30st or something, but I still couldn’t hit him.
“He was doing rope-a-dope, slipping my shots.
“I took it a bit easy on him because he was so out of shape, but he could still dance rings around me even then.
“If we ever fought I’d have to go full juggernaut style on him and not let him breathe, cut the ring down and don’t let him get going because when he gets into a rhythm he comes at you from mad angles. His jab is so fast.”
That Fury should thrive when back in the gym comes as no surprise to Joyce, who reckons that was his “medication” for all the drugs, alcohol and mental health issues he had.
Joyce added: “I think he’s got bipolar because he gets really, really high energy and then he gets really low.
“He battles these mental things.
“After the Klitschko fight he fulfilled his childhood dream, and then obviously after that he went off the rails and didn’t want to live. That was the lowest point.
“But then he picked himself back up, got back in there with Wilder, beat him on points really and he’s been back in the gym, that’s been his medication.”
As for a winner this time, Joyce thinks Fury could be in trouble.
He said: “I think he’ll still be Tyson Fury, fighting to his strengths. But I think him and his new coach must have looked at the first fight and realised that Tyson troubled Wilder at some points of the fight.
“Tyson’s talking about a second round KO, but I don’t know how realistic that is – but you know, he’s a big heavy guy and he can he can punch a bit. The punches that you can’t see hurt the most. So I see it going the same way.
“Tyson may out-box Wilder but then if he makes a mistake he’s going to get caught.
“The second time Wilder fights a person he is a different beast. He’s very patient, like a sniper, and he waits for his opportunities.”
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
