The man who famously knocked out John Fury, father of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, has spoken out about the character of the Gypsy King’s dad and what it was like to face him in the ring in his prime.
John Fury has been a prominent figure in the lead-up to his son Tyson’s blockbuster clash with Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia this Saturday. Earlier in the week, he made headlines for headbutting Stanislav Stepchuk, a member of Usyk’s team, during a media event at a hotel, leaving himself bloodied.
Following widespread criticism for his actions, 59-year-old John has offered a public apology and has found an unlikely ally in Steve Garber, one of his past adversaries in the ring. “John’s a good man,” stated Garber, who had two bouts with Fury Snr, losing the first but triumphing in the second with a brutal fourth-round knockout in 1995.
Garber, reflecting on their encounters and John’s recent behaviour, told the Manchester Evening News: “I know him outside of boxing. That [his antics] is all bravado. He’s always been polite and respectful to me. He’s a totally different person in public when the media’s present.
“People change and say things they don’t really mean. Then, afterwards, they look back and regret it. I can’t say anything bad about him.
Despite being relatively inexperienced when he first faced Fury Snr, Garber, from Yorkshire, learned through the school of hard knocks, improving with each of his 46 professional fights.
The seasoned fighter Garber, now 61, recounted his second bout with John, who had been out of the ring for four years but remained in top form under the guidance of Phil Martin and Billy Graham. “We both went to Champs Camp in Manchester so we knew each other,” Garber said.
“He assumed he could beat me, but I’d been active and knew I could beat him. I knew from the off I was going to knock him out, and it happened in the fourth round.”
Garber described the fight’s dynamics, noting, “He’d been on my chest the whole time. I was just relaxing and conserving myself. I’d taken the fight at short notice and had to save my energy.”
He then detailed the decisive moment: “I could tell he was tiring, he was getting ragged and I caught him with a straight right and that was it. That’s heavyweight boxing, that’s why it’s so exciting.”
Reflecting on Fury Snr’s fighting prowess, Garber disclosed: “[He] couldn’t punch but physically a strong man. I’ve always been able to punch from an early age. Not everyone can punch. His son [Tyson] is not a puncher really, but he’s developed that and he learned how to get that power.”
After triumphing over John, Garber only entered the ring twice more, with his penultimate fight ending in a late defeat to Kevin McBride, the same fighter who would go on to stop Mike Tyson in 2005.
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Today, Garber looks back with satisfaction, having transitioned successfully from the ring to running a thriving security business. “I’m OK, I’m a success story, I’ve got my own business and I found life after boxing,” he reflects, acknowledging the less fortunate fates of many former boxers who face financial and health struggles post-career.
“Boxing’s changed. These guys just aren’t coming through because they’re not fighting each other. John Fury fought whoever he was told to fight, like me, because he didn’t understand the game. Now, he understands the game in-depth.
“As I say, John’s a nice guy. I’m not just saying that, I don’t socialise with him or go to his house. But he’s a respectful guy. He’s apologised [for the headbutt], now it’s about moving on. It’s the two fighters who should take centre stage now.”