Dad John has explained how a tongue-in-cheek comment from Ricky Hatton led to son Tommy Fury ditching his gloves to appear on reality TV.
Fury, younger brother of Tyson, made it to 2-0 under Frank Warren before stalling his career to sign up for Love Island.
The 20 year-old has since become a household name with housewives and teenagers across the country.
Leaving the show with current Girlfriend Molly-Mae Hague, Fury has promised to get back in the ring next year.
John Fury on Tommy Fury
John was asked by BT Sport Box Office presenter Paul Dempsey whether he had a hand in Tommy signing up for Love Island, to which Fury responded: “I kept myself out of it. I’m a fighting man.
“He’s a good looking kid. At the end of the day, he’s a nice kid. The world is his oyster really. He’s done well to get where he is.”
Pushed by Dempsey as to whether Tommy should be training at 20 years of age and not on TV reality shows, John replied: “He’s bringing a new audience to boxing, I think.
“When he gets back in the ring, finally, it will be a new generation of people looking at boxing. That’s what it needs in this country. It needs another audience. He’s the man to bring it to the table.
“He told me he wants to fight and he told that was his first love so that’s what he’ll do.”
On how good he could be, Fury said his son needs more time to adapt after a short career before turning pro.
“It’s too early to tell, isn’t it? – He ticks all the boxes and he trains really hard. He’s well built and he can punch. You know, he’s a good thinking fighter.
“But he’s only had eleven amateur fights. He’s got limited experience in that way. For my money, who knows where he can go?
“To be like Tyson, he’s got some big boots to fill.”
HATTON
In a twist to the tale, Dempsey managed to extract some information on the origins of the Love Island appearance.
Fury put some of the blame on Ricky Hatton, who had a hand in bringing Tommy on initially, when jokingly saying: “This Love Island thing came out of nowhere, basically.
“I think it was one comment Ricky Hatton made in the gym. Ricky is the blame for it all. He told Tommy, ‘You shouldn’t be a boxer. You’re too good-looking. You should be on Love Island!
“The next thing you know, the Love Island people are in the gym,” he concluded.
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