Lineal Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury Does Not Give a Hoot About Legacy: “I do it for the money”

Tyson Fury’s career stands at a crucial juncture now. His upcoming fight against Oleksandr Usyk could either etch his name in history as one of the greatest, and or his career could see its knell. With so much riding on that night, he still hesitates to accept that he fights to enrich his legacy. Then, is his stint in the sport all about money?

The heavyweight giant will fight against WBA/WBO/IBF champ, Usyk to unify his WBC belt. One among them will emerge undisputed, a title upheld since 1999, and the first since the four-belt era ensued. Most boxing enthusiasts would argue that this fight could not be more important for the sport. However, for Fury, his reason to fight is as materialistic as it could get.

It’s all about money!

It’s been nine years since infamous boxing reporter, Gareth A Davies joined ‘The Gypsy King’ at his bastion ground. Through these years, the fighter might have lost a bit of his hair and gained a lot more experience in the sport among other significant changes, but one thing has remained constant. Davies inquired if the upcoming Riyadh clash has made him ponder about this legacy that would be on the line.

Remaining true to what he has iterated on multiple occasions, Fury asserted that he is not someone who places umpteen focus on legacies. He explained in the interview, “It’s an important fight but, again, I hate to say it because boxing fans and boxing purists and all them wankers they don’t wear it in the background. Why do you think I box for?”

“I do it for the money. And I think anybody in this building and anybody in boxing, professional boxing tells me they don’t do the game for money, they’re lying to you. But I speak from the heart. Do it for the dough mate. For the dough. The bigger the deal, the better. I’m a prize-fighting pugilist. Whether it be gold bars, gold coins, cash, transfers, fucking cars, whatever you want to pay me. Pay me in bags of sand for all I care. As long as I can make a drink on it, deal done,” he further noted.

While as he claims, ‘boxing purists‘ might not be satisfied with his explanation of him picking money over legacy, his upcoming fight, will also furnish him with a handsome amount. After all, despite all the legacy associated with it, it is a blockbuster fight in the making.

How much will Tyson Fury earn for ‘The Ring of Fire’?

Purse splits for the high-profile matchup have not been revealed officially. However, sources suggest that it will be one of the highest purses of recent years. It has been learnt that out of the $150 million purse bid, Fury is set to take the bigger pie home. The fighter will reportedly take 70% of the bid. In an interview, Top Rank CEO and promoter, Bob Arum also claimed that Fury will take home more than $100 million.

Interestingly, there is also a clause in their fight agreement that mandates a fighter to pay $10 million in penalty if the fight elapses owing to them specifically. This was enshrined right after Fury’s eyebrow injury postponed the matchup from February to May. Do you think Fury’s stance on money over legacy is justified? Take your picks in the comments section below.