By Elliot Worsell
One common error individuals commit when assessing Tyson Fury’s remarks, whether about Oleksandr Usyk or other matters, is attempting to interpret them as the rational and clear-headed thoughts of an ordinary person. They fail to recognize that as a professional boxer, Fury has the opportunity to fabricate or deceive whenever it suits him. Instead, they mistakenly perceive his comments as if they were coming from someone they personally know, admire, or can somewhat relate to.
Tyson Fury and those like him belong to a unique category. They are boxers, individuals who engage in the exchange of punches as a means to improve their own lives, even though this very act poses a threat to their well-being. Additionally, they possess remarkable skills in self-promotion and frequently indulge in self-deception. In fact, excelling in both these aspects is crucial for success in this brutal game, which proves to be both beneficial and detrimental to numerous individuals.
Fury, known for his exceptional self-promotion skills, finds himself in a critical situation after suffering his first professional defeat. Now, more than ever, he relies on his promotional talent and self-deception to achieve success. However, the crucial difference lies in the fact that he is now under intense scrutiny, facing skepticism instead of preaching to his loyal supporters.
This became clear last week when Fury, discussing his May fight against Usyk, said the following: “It was actually a lot easier than I thought, the Usyk fight. A lot easier. People were saying he is a hard man to hit, but I was lighting him up with three- and four-punch combinations and laughing at him. My problem in that fight was that I probably had too much fun. It was probably too easy. At times it was too easy. It was like I was in there with a local amateur boxer and I was just enjoying it too much and messing around. And I paid the ultimate price in round nine when I got a 10-8 round and got clipped. That’s what happens when you have too much fun.”
Based on these comments, it could be argued that Fury’s enjoyment during the fight never ceased. However, if we take his words at face value and assume he is not deceiving himself, it would be negligent to overlook the Usyk fight and how Fury perceived it. According to him, everything was going according to plan until he got carried away and got caught in the ninth round. Until that point, he believed he was well on his way to victory. Whether or not we agree with this, only Fury truly knows if it is accurate. Nevertheless, there were preceding rounds where Fury appeared not only comfortable but also in control. This lends credibility to his claims and adds depth to the narrative he is now attempting to present in hindsight.
Richard Pelham/Getty Images captures the moment when Fury is stunned by Usyk.
They say that beauty is subjective, and Fury, as the artist, sees something in his own work that the rest of us cannot comprehend – and that’s perfectly fine. While we may perceive his work as abstract and difficult to grasp, Fury, having been the artist and experiencing both the process and the attached emotions, is capable of interpreting and describing it in a way that is beyond our understanding. Whether his interpretation is believable or truthful is a separate debate, but it should at least be respected and comprehended. After all, Fury was the one who was actually present with Usyk, feeling things that the rest of us could only observe.
It is completely acceptable for Fury, being the loser of the fight, to resort to self-deception in order to regain his confidence before the rematch later this year. In fact, if this is his mindset, Fury will be following in the footsteps of numerous boxers throughout history who have relied on this coping mechanism.
Emil Cioran, the Romanian philosopher, expressed that just as failure reaches its peak and shame is on the verge of overpowering us, a surge of pride engulfs us momentarily. However, this surge quickly diminishes our energy, diminishing the intensity of our shame along with our abilities.
With Fury, a man so accustomed to winning, there is clearly a great deal of pride on display – always. There is also delusion, albeit of the necessary kind for a boxer, and ego; again, necessary for anyone setting foot inside a ring. If you can bear this, however, and accept it for what it is, you may then find an element of truth in what Tyson Fury has had to say about his first professional loss. It is, of course, only his truth, but isn’t that, when all is said and done, the single truth of any real relevance or importance in matters such as this?
