Roman Fury will join his brothers Tyson and Tommy - as well as cousin Hughie - in professional boxing tonight when he makes his debut.
The 25-year-old has no amateur experience, but has been around his world heavyweight champion brother for years and is being trained by Jimmy Harrington, who will also manage him. His dad John has also been around his camp, as has brother Tommy who is 8-0 as a professional and a former Love Island star.
Tyson believes that Roman could become a cruiserweight champion in future, but he is starting his career outside of the glare of the public spotlight on a VIP Boxing event in Doncaster. The card will be headlined by Reece Mould vs Hamed Ghaz who meet for the English lightweight title.
“I don’t want to rush things. I don’t want to box on big bills just because I carry the ‘Fury’ name," Roman. “You can’t run before you can walk and the VIP Boxing shows are ideal for me to learn my ringcraft and build. I could have had amateur fights, but I am around professional boxers and learning that side of things.
“Amateur fights would have been a nice experience, but I would rather go into the pro ranks and learn. These shows will improve me. I started late and don’t have time to waste two or three years in the amateurs so I have to progress quickly. Tyson, Tommy, our Dad and Jimmy all said just get straight into professional boxing.”
Roman has been around his brother's success watching it unfold, and also watched him as he suffered through mental health struggles and severe weight gain. He had his own brush with such vices, and struggled to get his weight under control during lockdown as his rugby career was put on hold.
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But after ballooning to 19-stone, he has got himself in a healthy way by boxing, insisting that the sport has been vital to his journey. And he is prepared to be put under the microscope with his family name being one of the most renowned in the sport. “Being criticised is in my thoughts," he added. "But that comes with my name. People look at Tyson and assume we’re all as good as him.
“I have not had any amateur experience so I am doing it cleverly. No matter what I do people are going to criticise so I have to get on with it and do my own thing. It’s not like I have never put a pair of gloves on. I have always done the basics of boxing from a young boy.
“I have been around boxing my whole life and I don’t consider myself a complete novice who has just put the gloves on. I want to go for titles. I am looking for British titles and like any boxer have ambitions to win World titles. I would even love Central and English titles. I would be privileged to win them because that is very, very good. Not many boxers even win Area titles.”
