Tyson Fury’s father has accepted that he will not be able to travel to be with his son to support him in his trilogy fight on Saturday night. Tyson takes on Deontay Wilder for the third time in Las Vegas this weekend, but the WBC and The Ring world heavyweight champion’s father will not be ringside after being denied entry to the US.
John Fury, a former boxing professional himself, served four years of an 11-year prison sentence after being found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in 2011.
He had gouged the eye of someone with whom he had a long-term feud, causing him to miss years of his son’s career as Tyson rose through the ranks while John served his sentence.
Despite being given a high-profile BT Sport punditry role and becoming a famous face in his own right since, John has been denied a visa to enter the US, meaning he will be apart from his second eldest son again as he takes on Wilder in a world title fight.
He insists, though, that he is not bitter about the decision and accepts that he continues to pay for his crime.
JUST IN: Dillian Whyte gets green light to fight Tyson Fury if he beats Wilder
The 57-year-old admitted he would love to be able to see his son fight on British shores again, but accepts that Tyson is doing well overseas and doesn’t need him there to be successful.
“If is the smallest word in the dictionary but it is also the biggest. If Tyson fights Dillian Whyte back in England next then yes I will be there but I will be nervous and jittery,” John Fury said.
“It will be all brand new again, it will be like being let out of prison all over again, like a child with a new toy.
“But Tyson is doing amazing things over in America and has proven he doesn’t really need his dad. I could be the jinx.”
Follow our new Daily Express Sport Instagram page here.