Tyson Fury had to laugh at the irony.
The unbeaten two-time and reigning lineal heavyweight champion has taken great pride in his having been named after former undisputed champ Mike Tyson. So, it came as a bit of a shock when he learned that his next fight would come with the Hall of Fame legend working the corner of his opponent, former UFC heavyweight king and pro boxing debutant Francis Ngannou.
“He thinks he’s in a dream? F——’ hell, I’m in a dream,” Fury laughed of the situation during Thursday’s official press conference to announce their October 28 crossover bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “I’m named after the guy and now I’m in the opposite corner from him. It’s crazy.”
England’s Fury (33-0-1, 24KOs) will enter the ring without his WBC title at stake versus Ngannou. Their scheduled ten-round heavyweight contest will air live on TNT Sport Box Office in the U.K. and on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View in the U.S.
The event has already attracted a lot of attention for a variety of reasons. Added to the storyline was the revelation that Mike Tyson has taken the lead in preparing Ngannou’s transition from the octagon to the boxing ring.
The union has been four years in the making, as revealed during the presser by Ngannou, a Cameroon-born boxer who now lives and trains in Las Vegas.
“It’s actually hurtful. I’m about to cry my eyes out,” joked Fury. “If I knew it was personal and not business, I would take it seriously. But this is strictly business. Mike Tyson is doing a job for Francis. He’s a boxing trainer now, fair play to him.
“It’s surreal for me. Imagine as a baby you’re named after Mike Tyson. Then that baby goes on to become world heavyweight champion. Then, that heavyweight champion goes and fights somebody else and the guy you’re named after is training the guy.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox