John Fury has said he hopes the long-awaited fight between his son Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua never happens, fearing the loser will never get over the backlash. The heavyweight rivals are set to meet in Cardiff on Friday, December 11.
The bout has been demanded by British boxing fans for over a decade, with the Principality Stadium already sold out and millions expected to watch worldwide on Netflix. Tyson's father, however, did not want to see the fight made.
John Fury's fears over the loser
John acknowledged that while both fighters are past their best, they remain powerful forces who could hurt each other. Speaking in the upcoming BBC series Rivals, before the fight was confirmed, he said: "I hope it never happens."
"They'll get that much stick, the loser, they won't be able to cope with it. Even though these two guys are not at their best they've still got a lot of power and they could still hurt each other, you know. And you just don't want to see either man walk around after being greats [for people] to laugh at, really."
John will not attend the fight
John, who said earlier this year that his relationship with Tyson was "completely destroyed", says he will not attend the fight. He told Playbook Boxing: "I'll be honest with you, no. I won't be attending."
"Let me tell you, you have more chance of seeing a cow fly than me bothering with it. I don't like the people in it, and I know accidents can happen. I'm not involved, so I don't want to go to the fight."
"I'll be doing what his mother does. I'll wait for somebody to tell me who wins the fight. I don't need validation to go to a boxing match and sit there and be an absolute spare p**** at the wedding."
Matchroom welcomes the showdown
Matchroom bosses Barry and Eddie Hearn, who represent Joshua, are delighted the fight has been made and will take place in the UK after fears it would be held in the United States. Barry said: "People like me, I've been waiting 10 years for this. I don't have another 10 years! I want to see this fight."
"I would have been devastated if this fight for any reason didn't happen, because why? Why are we in this business? Isn't it to create moments and memories that live on? And I will never forget Joshua against [Wladimir] Klitschko. Fortunately, everyone's seen sense."
Speaking in Rivals, available on iPlayer from November 10, Eddie said: "Both these guys have played a huge part in changing the sport forever in this country. This is one of the biggest sporting events, if not the biggest, sporting event Britain has ever seen."
The show begins on Friday night, December 11, with the main event expected in the early hours of Saturday morning to accommodate US viewers.
