Manny Steward: ‘Tyson Fury will be the next dominant heavyweight’

Fury has had a training merry go round since he turned pro in December 2008, but now under Manny’s experienced wing, the legendary fight figure believes the 22 year old from Gypsy fighting stock, can carry the heavyweight baton that has stayed within his trainers grasp, passed on from Lennox Lewis to his current charges the Klitschko brothers.

The Manchester born heavyweight prospect who stands 6’9″ and weighs up to 19st is the current English heavyweight champion and also the mandatory challenger for Dereck Chisora’s British title and he is chomping at the bit, to fast track to the top of the world rankings.

After a successful amateur career which he signed off winning the ABA title with Jimmy Egan’s boxing academy in Wythenshawe, Fury has had an up and down professional ride but remains unbeaten in 13 fights.

Changing trainers like the ones you wear, Fury has flitted from gym to gym in the hope of finding someone who could mould his potential into the finished article. Stints with Brian Hughes and Pat Barrett, and then his uncle Huey amongst others, proved to not be the piece in the puzzle he had been looking for.

Then last year Fury packed a bag and decided to go to America in search of the famous Kronk gym founder and trainer of some of the best fighters to grace a ring, including Thomas Hearns, Dennis Andreas and British heavyweight legend Lennox Lewis.

 Fury searched around for Steward in Detroit and put the word out that he was looking for the trainer.

Speaking on the Main Event Radio Show  Steward picks up the story.

“Tyson came to Detroit unexpected looking for me.” said Steward.

“I was out having dinner one day and the phone rang, they said there’s a big tall guy down at the gym looking for you called Tyson Fury, I said What!

“He had jumped on as plane, then after riding all over the city he eventually found the gym, because it wasn’t where it used to be.

“He was meant to stay here for a week, but ended up staying three weeks at my home with me. We watched nothing but fight films and he asked lots of questions.

“Ive been very impressed with him, I didn’t know he had so much natural talent and agility for a big man and when I went to train Wladimir (Klitschko) he asked if he could come to the camp, I said sure.

“So he was over there at the camp (Germany) and I can actually say he trained harder than anyone else at the camp. He ran every single day when no one else was running and he lost I think 25lbs.

The opponent he fought last, nobody wanted to fight him and it was switched at the last minute, but he went eight rounds, but he could have gone twelve rounds and he was very relaxed. He is going to fight regular now, hopefully once a month and Hennesy Sports is gonna keep him busy.”

“I said to Wladimir in training, I said you see that guy, he is going to be the next super dominant heavyweight after you, he said yeah! I said yeah. Ive had Lennox on a nine year run, I’m gonna have you looks like nine years and that’s gonna be my next super heavyweight.” Steward added.

Britain at present has an abundance of heavyweight talent coming to the fore and the common denominator is that they are all finding it hard to find suitable matches. So it seems that at some point, the best of the British big boys will have to meet, to see who is worthy of the step up to world level.

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