Counting down the days until 25 December, talkSPORT is looking at 12 knockouts of Christmas . Up next it's Big John Fury..
. Gypsy John fought in hundreds of bare-knuckle bouts and 13 licensed professional contests and – even though the last two ended in brutal fashion – doesn't appear to be done fighting yet. At 6ft 3in, built like a brick outhouse with a gravelly voice and a dead-eyed stare, Fury Sr always makes sure his presence is felt - just ask the the member of Oleksandr Usyk's team he headbutted ahead of their first fight.
The elder Fury was causing chaos at the start of fight week in May where his WBC champion son was aiming to join the undisputed club by beating Usyk, which he ultimately failed to do. Usyk instead made history by becoming the modern era's first four-belt heavyweight champion. Tyson Fury may be taller than his dad, but he is almost gangly in stature and often has a playful glint in his eye.
There is nothing playful about Gypsy John. Galway-born, he comes from a long line of bare-knuckle champions and tough, travelling fighters. He began fighting on campsites, in bars or on the street as a teenager, once winning more than £100k by backing himself in a fight.
His bouts were 'usually over within seconds', he’s said, although John Fury did not count himself as a big puncher. “Once I got going, I’d not stop swinging until they were out cold,” the 59-year-old once told the Daily Star . “I’d not come up for air.
I just wanted to kill. I’d .
