Tyson Fury has been in many gigantic fights since he became heavyweight champion in 2015. With these massive events comes massive paydays and opportunities for the A-side boxer. The eight-figure paychecks won’t stop flowing into his bank account anytime soon, as the Englishman is a huge draw not only in the combat sports space, but as an international superstar.
Getting to the point in his career where he can call the shots has been a long, hard road that made Fury’s mind strengthen with each test. It has been talked about many times, but since his breakthrough win against Wladimir Klitschko, Fury has battled many demons that resulted in a fall from grace. Fury was able to bounce back in a big way and has never looked back as he continues to carve his name in the record books.
Tyson Fury – profile
Born: Manchester, England, Age: 35-years old, Height 6’9”, Weight: 277lb
Growing up in Manchester, England, a young Tyson Fury was naturally attracted to the sport of boxing because of the long line of Furys that had boxed before him. John Fury, Tyson’s polarizing father, fought as a bare-knuckle boxer in the 1980s, but made the transition to traditional boxing soon after. John boxed professionally, and in doing so, he learned the ropes to be shared at a later time with his son.
Born in 1988 and named after the legendary heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson, Tyson Fury picked up where his family’s fighting legacy left off at the young age of 10. Through his father and Uncle’s tutelage, Fury was able to immediately make an impact in boxing when he turned pro in 2008. Unlike other heavyweight greats like Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk, Fury did not go the Olympic boxing route. Trusting his father’s plan, the fleet of foot heavyweight found stardom when he raked up a pro record of 24-0 to get a shot at longtime heavyweight kingpin, Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.
Career earnings
Tyson Fury earned a mega $50 million for his fight against Francis Ngannou
Fury has been able to consistently grow his fight night purses over the years. As you can see below, the heavyweight champion’s profile has led to astronomical financial success, according to Sporting News. Some of the biggest nights in boxing have seen the British champion take to the ring and earn some mega money, including his US-based fights against Deontay Wilder following his comeback.
Tyson Fury – net worth
All of Fury’s hard work over the years has paid off
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Tyson Fury’s net worth is $65 million and, with an ascending public profile, and look out for this number growing exponentially in the coming years. Now that Fury is focused and consistent, he has put himself alongside world-known athletes such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Conor McGregor.
Though he teased retirement last year, Fury is all in and has his plate full of a sophisticated opponent. With the news of Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua linking up in 2024, Fury will have a bevy of future opponents to pick and choose from should he get past Usyk, a fight for which he is expected to again earn a mega $100 million according to promoter Bob Arum for the Saudi Arabia deal in total.
Tyson Fury’s undefeated journey including Wladimir Klitschko win
The British heavyweight beat Klitschko in Germany in 2015
Once he claimed intercontinental and European boxing titles, Fury was fully groomed for a big-time fight against Klitschko, who hadn’t lost a fight in 11 years! ‘The Gypsy King’ was not swayed by the aura that surrounded a Klitschko assignment. The Ukranian’s style was well documented and studied for many years, yet it was a fiery Fury who solved the champion’s jab/clinch puzzle.
Fury is a unique specimen. He looks tubby and large, but he’s able to move and pivot laterally rather swiftly. At 6-foot-9-inches, the Englishman is a unicorn that beat the unbeatable. Fury’s length and counter striking were the key to slaying Klitschko and securing five heavyweight titles. It put the Fury family on the map and justified all the hard work in the lead up to this monumental moment. Though greatness was achieved, Fury – a very ambitious person – was left with a big gap of emptiness.
Tyson Fury’s mental health struggles
Tyson Fury took some time away from the boxing ring
Sadly, Fury’s lifelong dream of becoming a world champion was overtaken by falling into depression and mental health struggles, which he faced a real battle to overcome. The tall titan was a large man already, but after endless pints of beer and a drug addiction, Fury skyrocketed to an enormous 400lb. Being the driven personality that he is, the same focus that turned him into the baddest man on the planet, just turned him plain bad.
Fury has admitted to being a complete mess during this period of his life following the Klitschko fight. The saving grace that pulled Fury out from the bottom of a drinking glass was when heavyweight threat, Deontay Wilder, assured his fans that Fury was done and a non-factor in the heavyweight title picture. Those words inspired an out of shape Fury to put one foot in front of the other and start the climb back to greatness.
Tyson Fury’s epic comeback
Tyson Fury beat Deontay Wilder twice in an epic trilogy
After taking a few tune-up fights, team Fury was back in business and ready to prove to the world that the Klitschko win was not an anomaly. Nearly three years after collecting the titles from the Ukranian king, Fury’s focus was directly on Wilder, the heaviest heavyweight hitter the world has seen since Iron Mike Tyson.
The lead-up to the Fury-Wilder fight was thrilling, entertaining, and at times, very intense, with the two kings of combat often restraining themselves from getting into physical altercations throughout the press tour. Fury, like the word wizard he is, got the better of the verbal exchanges. After a long road back to the ring, it was finally time to put up or shut up.
The fight had a clear tension to it as any mistake from Fury could be his last. Wilder has an unearthly amount of power, and at the time, a ridiculous resume to boot. With 39 knockouts in 40 fights, the “Bronze Bomber” was getting through Fury’s defense with clean shots, but it was in the 12th and final round that Wilder landed a left hook missile directly on Fury’s chin that flattened the Brit. Incredibly, Fury found a way to beat the ref’s 10-count in what looked like WWE’s Undertaker rising from the dead.
This would be the closest contest of the three fights between these goliaths, as Fury would learn to put Wilder on his back foot to diffuse the power puncher’s best weapon. Team Fury once again rose to the occasion and became a household name in sports.
Tyson Fury’s huge risk against Francis Ngannou
Fury was dropped by ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou
Post-Wilder fights, Fury fought fellow countrymen Derek Chisora and Dillian Whyte. Beating both men pretty handily, “The Gypsy King” found interest in a cross-over fight versus Francis “The Predator” Ngannou. The potential fight gained steam as Ngannou became a free agent and expressed his want to box the greatest heavyweight champion of this generation.
To the dislike of many in the boxing community, the Battle of The Baddest fight was booked. Upon the announcement, it seemed like an alternate reality fight to have the lineal heavyweight boxing champion face the UFC champion. Oh, but it was quite real in fact.
Unlike past fights, Fury was quite jovial with the charming Ngannou during public appearances. The unguarded Fury quickly realized when the bell rang that Ngannou was on a mission to prove the naysayers wrong about his boxing ability. The Cameroonian landed a flashing left hook that sent Fury to the canvas. Like replaying a hit record, Fury was able to rise to his feet and beat the count, continue on, and win rounds to score the judges’ decision.
Endorsements, sponsors and other projects
Fury has been part of documentaries on both ITV and Netflix
After beating Klitscko and then captivating the world with his series of fights against Wilder, the well-spoken Fury became a highly sought after sports figure for companies and entrepreneurial opportunities. According to Forbes, Fury has made over $2 million with endorsement deals from WOW Hydrate and Fashion Nova in 2022. The Fury family have now made a sports drink of their own called Furocity. Fury was also part of a major TV rights deal following the success of the first Wilder fight. Per Sports Pro Media, Fury’s fights are exclusively broadcasted on ESPN through the Top Rank Boxing promotion. The deal is worth up to $103 million and requires Fury to fight a minimum of twice a year.
There are reports swirling that following Fury’s final fight (next fight) of his contract with Top Rank, that he will pursue a new 10-fight deal with the highest bidder. With the Saudi Arabian sports landscape now at full throttle, any number is on the table. It will be interesting to see who entices the high-priced puncher. 2019 was a year of big business for Fury in many ways. The interesting and inspiring champion teamed up with Penguin Random House to publish his autobiography. Book sales garnered $4 million according to Essentially Sports. Fury has also had hugely successful documentaries on his life on both Netflix and ITV, with the latter ‘At Home With The Furys’ generating huge revenue in 2023.
Tyson Fury next fight
Oleksandr Usyk: Height: 6’3”, Weight: 220lbs, Record: 21-0 (14 KOs)
Beating Anthony Joshua twice to hold the lionshare of heavyweight titles, has put Oleksandr Usyk in a position to make life-changing money against Tyson Fury when they soon clash. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist truly contrasts Fury in size, boxing style and personality. Stylistically, the soft-spoken Ukrainian facing the outspoken Gypsy will be a boxing purist’s dream fight.
With the craziness that is heavyweight boxing, many have speculated that a potential showdown between Joshua-Wilder could still happen in the coming months, but with Joseph Parker’s huge upset win over Wilder, Ngannou has since moved into a big fight with Joshua. Following the Usyk saga, does Fury finally meet Joshua in a battle for the United Kingdom or does Ngannou have something to say about that? 2024 will surely be one of the best years in boxing’s long and storied history. Stay tuned.