Barry, who was due to be opposite Fury’s uncle Peter until a fight between Parker and Hughie was postponed, says Tyson is much needed in the sport as the 28 year-old continues to embark on losing weight for a comeback.
Fury left the division behind when defeating Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015 but Barry was in no doubt about who his own fighter Parker and the rest of the contenders should thank for the rejuvenation of the 200 pound plus weight class.
“Tyson Fury is one of the characters in boxing and was the greatest thing to happen to the heavyweight division,” Barry exclusively told World Boxing News.
“What gave interest and excitement back into the heavyweight division was Tyson Fury beating Klitschko.
“Especially the young guys like Joe Parker, Andy Ruiz and Hughie Fury – they all owe a lot to Tyson for beating Klitschko and opening all the doors.”
As Fury pushes to be granted a boxing license by the UK authorities following the delaying of a hearing into the matter, Barry says trainer Peter should also be praised for his handling of Tyson and Hughie – two unbeaten fighters with completely contrasting mindsets.
“I can appreciate it would be a very, very difficult job looking after two fighters with such different personalities,” said the former Olympic medallist.
“I think after that experience, if Peter ever decided not to be a boxing coach he could probably be a psychiatrist and work with a lot of people.
“I know from being around sport for a long time that no two athletes are ever the same, especially in the mental side, everyone is different. They all have different ways of interpreting, understanding and responding to things.
“And it’s very important for a coach to be able to tap into that,” added Barry.
Phil Jay is Editor of World Boxing News. Follow on Twitter @PhilDJay
