Martin Smith column: Like him or loath him, Tyson Fury is one on his own

Say what you like about Tyson Fury, the lad's got guts. Â
Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury during the WBC Heavyweight Championship bout at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Pic: Lionel Hahn/PA WireDeontay Wilder and Tyson Fury during the WBC Heavyweight Championship bout at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Pic: Lionel Hahn/PA Wire
Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury during the WBC Heavyweight Championship bout at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Pic: Lionel Hahn/PA Wire

He's been fighting all his life. 

He was the big lad that all the other gypsy kids wanted to beat.

He also grew up with a strong religious influence and some entrenched and objectionable attitudes on gender and sexuality

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Bigotry based on old testament thunderings is still bigotry.

But credit where it's due, no-one has ever seriously doubted his courage.

He had to drag himself off the canvas twice in the early hours of Sunday and still should have been given the decision over Deonte Wilder and his big bombs.

We've always known there's something a bit different about 30-year-old Fury and some of it not too likeable.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But now he's gone and proved himself the real deal by promising to donate his £8 million fight purse from the Wilder fight to the homeless.

Publicity stunt? Believe it when you see it? He could have paid for the best PR team in the world for the rest of his life with that prize money. This is a man with, on this occasion, money and mouth as one. 

Credit due to the Gypsy King.

*Looks like a new career in the making for Sheffield's Golden Girl Jessica Ennis.

The face of the 2012 London Olympics who delivered when it mattered most with the eyes of the world upon her.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She's back in the limelight as she interviews Gareth Southgate on England's outstanding World Cup and his side's semi-final defeat that gripped the world and re-united the England team with the nation.

Sheffield University psychology graduate Jess speaks to Southgate as part of the BBC's build up to the Sports Personality Of The Year event - now in its 65th year. 

The interview will be showed on BBC 1 as Dame Jessica looks back at Russia 2018, the winter Olympics, the Commonwealth games and meets some of the headline makers of the year.

SPOTY and its heroism, glory and gush will be live from Birmingham's Genting Arena on Sunday, 16 December.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

 *By his own admission Sheffield Wednesday are back where they were when Jos Luhukay took over as manager in January. 

Supporters turned against him at Blackburn on Saturday.

The football and the results are currently not good enough for him, the players or the fans.

Without a transformation the end looks inevitable.

 

Â