Shane Fury, brother of WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson, has admitted that ‘The Gypsy King’ could be past his best after witnessing an uncharacteristically sloppy performance against Francis Ngannou – although hopes that’s not the case.
Fury edged a split-decision win against former UFC champion and boxing debutant Ngannou in a bout which he was expected to win by a landslide.
The display has caused concern the Brit may not be the same fighter that he was just a couple of years ago, with fans and family hoping instead it was down to poor preparation paired with a better-than-expected opponent.
In an interview with Boxing King Media, an honest Shane laid out possible reasons for the below-par outing before not ruling out that his brother could be on the slide after several years at the peak of the division.
“Listen, it was a combination of a lot of things. It was a combination of having twelve months out of the ring and having your trainer with you, trying to put your bad habits right that you have learnt in the last ten months, and the man [Ngannou] being a lot better than what he thought he was going to be.”
“Realistically, that might be Tyson now, I am hoping not but at the end of the day he is 35-years-old and people go overnight. I’m hoping that’s not Tyson because you see him much different in the gym, it was chalk and cheese, I’m hoping that’s not the case.”
Fans are hopeful that Fury will find his form for a battle against Oleksandr Usyk to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the history of the four-belt era. That bout is expected to take place in February of 2024.