Flex Speaks... to Tyson Fury

Boxing News Danny Flexen28th May, 2009

Hi Tyson. When I rang your uncle Hughie this morning to ask for your number, he told me you guys were no longer training together. What's going on there?

It's all a mystery at the moment; everything's up in the air. I live in Manchester, my uncle lives in Lancaster. It's 80-90 miles away. i was staying with him for six months and I'd had enough of it. I didn't like the atmosphere around where I was living; so boring. It was like Alcatraz - you go five minuted before you hit the motorway and then it's 60-70 miles before you get anywhere else; go in the other direction and you get the sea! You have to be happy with your home environment.

I now have my own brand new gym in Manchester. It's been built for me by my other uncle on the holiday park he owns. We have everything there - even places for people to stay for when sparring partners come over.

So who is training you now?

I'm looking for a new trainer now but I don't know where to start. I don't rate any of the trainers in Manchester. I've been around the gyms and the fighters here don't seem to know what they're doing technically. Actually, Brian Hughes is a good technical coach but he's in his 70s. I went to Bobby Rimmer's gym and it was all work, work, work. I've got to be shown technique.

I think I'll look for an American trainer. They've had the best heavyweights in the past and they could come and stay here. My dad [former pro Johnny Fury] and uncle Peter are helping me train in the meantime.

Now, the reason I originally rang was to ask you to sum up your heavyweight rivals but first I have to ask: all these press releases with you criticising other fighters, does it bother you when you are called "disrespectful"?

Not at all. I'm a confident fighter. When people see me coming to the ring really relaxed they think 'I'm in trouble here'.

Okay, let's go through your domestic rivals, one by one, and could you please run down some positives and negatives for each man? First, Derek Chisora.

A positive about him is that he has a big mouth; he talks a good fight. the negatives are that he's a short heavyweight, he throws three-four shots before he's out of breath and he can't take shots to the body. I know I would do a demolition job on him; no heavyweight hits as hard to the body as me.

Talking of body shots, did you expect Scott Belshaw to last longer last weekend?

Yeah, I thought four-five rounds. I thought I'd have to break him down slowly. He definitely came to fight though.

Okay, now let's move on to Sam Sexton.

He's a good technical boxer, quite fast and he has nice skills. But he can't take a punch - every time [Martin] Rogan clipped him, his legs were gone - and I don't think he's got the heart. It's no good having the skills if a fighter falls to bits under pressure.

You mentioned Rogan; now he certainly doesn't lack heart. What about him?

I've actually sparred Martin Rogan. I went to Ireland at the end of 2007. Over six rounds, he landed about three punches on me. I landed about 500. He's got the heart of a lion but no ability at all. U guarantee I would knock Rogan out in three rounds. I'd step off his lines and smash him from the outside. He walks through shots to land his own but against a rangy heavyweight like me, you can't afford to keep taking those sort of shots.

The current British champion Danny Williams; what do you think of him?

He's a top fighter when he's on his game. At 16st 7lbs he would give anyone in the world a hard time. At 20st he's cumbersome. but its his motivation that gives him more problems than anything I think. He's had all those wars with Audley Harrison and Matt Skelton so it must be hard to motivate yourself for someone like Chisora. But when he's got his head on, he's still world class. He's a little past his best now though; time waits for no man.

So who do you really want to fight next?

Boxing is what I live to do so I'd fight anyone. I'd like Chisora but I can see where he's coming from fighting Williams. I'm 6-0 with six knockouts, I'm in the press, on everyone's case. If he fights Williams, he gets a chance at the British title and if you win, you win, but if you lose, at least you can say you fought for it. If he fights me, first he knows he's going to lose but even if he did win, he'd have just beaten another prospect; all he'll get is some respect.

I'd like someone to take me the distance but Daniel Peret was one of the toughest journeymen in Europe and I done him in quite easily.

I don't think Paul Butlin wants to fight me because before I turned pro I went down to Leicester and gave him a real hammering. It's hard to get someone you've smashed in the gym to have a real fight with you. But I don't want to fight bums. I want someone who's 20-1 or 18-0. After I beat someone, I want to feel like I've achieved something.

In this week's magazine, our Editor suggests Oliver McCall as an opponent for you. Any interest?

He's a good, strong man, he's never really been knocked out but I don't know what [promoter] Mick [Hennessy] would say. Someone like that would be perfect. He's dangerous so you'd have to keep on your toes.

Do you know who'd be a good man for me to fight right now? You'll think I'm joking - Sam Peter. He's made to measure. He's a big swinger and I guarantee my straight punches would smash him to pieces. But Mick says I need building up a bit more before fights like that. When I'm 15-0 a fight against a Peter or a Hasim Rahman would sell out the MEN [Arena].

You sound really keen to get on.

I'm in a rush myself but I've been thinking about this recently and there's no point' I'm only 20. I want everything tomorrow but I'm also eager to learn which is why I need the right people to show me certain things.

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