Few boxers or even sportsmen for that matter have been able to generate the revenue that Tyson Fury has over the last 18 months. The Englishman has done what many thought impossible after he spent three years outside the ring and ballooned up to over 300 pounds in what was the darkest period of his life.
It was only after beating Wladimir Klitschko in Dusseldorf that Fury’s life began to get away from him. Then a charge of doping that saw his license suspended proved to be the eventual straw that broke the camel’s back. The dark days, however, would pass after Fury linked up with trainer Ben Davison and together they began an exercise program that would see the boxer lose ten stone.
Before long Fury was back in the ring and after a few warm-up fights he was able to take Deontay Wilder all the way in a bout that was deemed to be a draw. It was a controversial decision as many considered Fury to have won, but regardless of the result, the world could see that Fury was back. Fury will, however, be able to right any wrongs when he faces Wilder again and this time he goes in as the favourite priced at 8/11 in the latest boxing odds. The boxing world will stand still for that fight but it was the initial match with Wilder that put Fury’s name up in lights again.
After that night at the Staples Center, the Englishman signed a five-fight contract with ESPN worth £80m. At this stage, Fury was more than making up for lost time and became the cover face of boxing yet again which prompted the WWE to invite him to make a cameo appearance during one of their shows. One thing led to another and given how successful Fury’s debut was, he ended up fighting someone called Braun Strowman in an event in Saudi Arabia.
Fury’s “purse” (it may be a strong word given that we know the WWE is scripted) for this fight was in the region of £12m. As mentioned, no one in sport has been able to generate the income that Fury has when the chips looked so down. The boxer is now a household name in the United Kingdom and America and currently, his stock couldn’t be higher.
At what cost has this all come though? Will Fury still have the same appeal to boxing fans after dabbling in the WWE? The money certainly won’t dry up but Fury could have sacrificed his legacy in the boxing world for the sake of his brand by linking up with the WWE.
The boxer himself may already be one step ahead. He seems quite unfazed about not being remembered as one of the greatest of all time when he can get the same payday in the WWE ring without running the risk of actually being hurt. You have to hand it to Tyson Fury, in the space of 18 months he has built an empire that will remain for many generations to come.
