John Fury's five-word response to son Tommy Fury's low blow during comeback victory over Kenan Hanjalic
Fighting for the first time in 18 months, the former Love Island star earned a unanimous decision over Bosnia's Kenan Hanjalic to extend his unbeaten record to 11-0.
It was far from a vintage display, with ring rust evident and the bout often scrappy as Fury laboured through six rounds that included more clinching than clean punching.
The major talking point came midway through the contest, when Fury landed a shot that sent Hanjalic to the canvas. Replays suggested the punch had strayed low. The referee allowed time for Hanjalic to recover before the bout resumed, but the damage had seemingly been done.
At ringside, John Fury could not hide his frustration and appeared to accuse Hanjalic of using the alleged low blow to his advantage by lapping up the recovery time on offer.
He later offered a typically blunt assessment of the incident using just five words: 'He's doing an Oleksandr Usyk.'
He beat Kenan Hanjalic by unanimous decision after catching him with a third-round low blow
The remark referred to a controversial moment in Oleksandr Usyk's first fight against Daniel Dubois in August 2023, when the Ukrainian was dropped by a shot that Dubois and his team insist was legal.
The referee disagreed, ruling it a low blow and giving Usyk nearly four minutes to recover before he went on to win the fight.
It remains a major talking point as Usyk prepares to face Dubois again this summer in a rematch for the undisputed heavyweight championship at Wembley Stadium.
John Fury's comment carried extra weight given his family's own bruising history with Usyk. The Ukrainian southpaw beat Tyson Fury twice in 2024. First by split decision in May to claim the WBC belt and become undisputed heavyweight champion. Then again in December by unanimous decision in a rematch.
Those two defeats are rare blemishes on Tyson Fury's professional record, which stands at 34 wins, two losses and one draw.
Meanwhile, Tommy Fury remains unbeaten in the ring. However, he openly admitted after Friday's fight that he had been battling some serious personal issues outside of the ring.
After dedicating the win to long-term partner Molly-Mae Hague and their daughter Bambi, he said: 'I've been through things that tear men down.
'Drunk, an alcoholic, I lost my family for a little bit. But I've turned things around. I've gone from being low to being on top of the world again.'
He also reignited his feud with Jake Paul.
'Jake Paul's a b***h and he's running scared,' he said. 'Jake, the hand's fixed now, baby. Next time I'll knock you spark out.'
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