Big John Fury called out

[Counter-puncher]

Get a shirtless Frank Grant to stand in the pouring rain and scream "Fight me!" at the pair of them as they sit cowering in an 80's Ford Transit van and I'll watch it.

[ALI]

IFL interview with John Fury:

I might be cynical saying this, but a small part of me wonders if this 'pending event' was pre-planned between the parties involved. Motivating factors being they both make a bit of cash and get themselves plenty of limelight, which they both seem to enjoy.

Will be interesting to see exactly what % goes to the NHS.

[mickey1975]

I met Big John last year and he is certainly not small or out of shape. He’s a unit.

What's he like in person, seems sound minus the shouting

A nice bloke.

[margaret thatcher]

A nice bloke unless you bid against him

[mickey1975]

Get a shirtless Frank Grant to stand in the pouring rain and scream "Fight me!" at the pair of them as they sit cowering in an 80's Ford Transit van and I'll watch it.

Frank Grant terrifies almost everyone.

[margaret thatcher]

I was thinking similarly. He looked alright for a 56 year old. It was only a spar, but showed he had technique, can throw a punch, reasonable movement, and looked like he could likely go a few rounds. He obviously fancies the job too, so i woukd not write him off so quickly. Big John comes with his reputation, but one that he built many years ago. Nobody seems to have seen any footage at all from his fighing days, never mind in the past few years. He does not appear in the best of health, so he might even struggle to throw a punch these days, never mind box for a few rounds?

Not sure what you're seeing in that spar. It was a very gentle spar, its not like they were going at it: He was just touching his sparring partner. And didn't you notice, when he stopped allowing himself to be a punchbag and threw back, how the other bloke caught him flush far too easily? If that was an inter club I wouldn't have been impressed. Also, 56 isn't that old, really. It's too old to compete with young lads but there are plenty of very fit blokes in their 50's. I can imagine people in his gym patting him on the back and saying how great he looks still: who'd want to tell him he doesn't?

With regards to Big John though, you've got a point. Never seen him fight. Travellers don't age well either: they're men at 15 and bloody look it, too! As Calzaghe once said about Hopkins "He does a lot of fighting... With his mouth!"' but is there even a video of him on the bag? Looks well scary and seems a bit mental, but he also looks like he's getting on. My Dad's 75 and couldn't knock the skin off a rice pudding but has a dreadful temper on him and could probably be framed on camera when he has one of his hissyfits, with a bit of fake background, so that people would say "oh you still wouldn't want to mess with him, would you?" even though he couldn't fight sleep in his prime.

Just don't really see what's so poor about him in the spar. Doesn't really seem particularly bad at all for his age to me.

[Cyclops]

Not sure what you're seeing in that spar. It was a very gentle spar, its not like they were going at it: He was just touching his sparring partner. And didn't you notice, when he stopped allowing himself to be a punchbag and threw back, how the other bloke caught him flush far too easily? If that was an inter club I wouldn't have been impressed. Also, 56 isn't that old, really. It's too old to compete with young lads but there are plenty of very fit blokes in their 50's. I can imagine people in his gym patting him on the back and saying how great he looks still: who'd want to tell him he doesn't?

With regards to Big John though, you've got a point. Never seen him fight. Travellers don't age well either: they're men at 15 and bloody look it, too! As Calzaghe once said about Hopkins "He does a lot of fighting... With his mouth!"' but is there even a video of him on the bag? Looks well scary and seems a bit mental, but he also looks like he's getting on. My Dad's 75 and couldn't knock the skin off a rice pudding but has a dreadful temper on him and could probably be framed on camera when he has one of his hissyfits, with a bit of fake background, so that people would say "oh you still wouldn't want to mess with him, would you?" even though he couldn't fight sleep in his prime.

Just don't really see what's so poor about him in the spar. Doesn't really seem particularly bad at all for his age to me.

Watching that and thinking "well he's better than me" doesn't make him any good, Mrs Thatcher

[margaret thatcher]

Never doubt Mrs Thatcher's ability to launch some knuckles

[Cyclops]

They didn't call you The Iron Lady for nothing!

[margaret thatcher]

[Cyclops]

Get a shirtless Frank Grant to stand in the pouring rain and scream "Fight me!" at the pair of them as they sit cowering in an 80's Ford Transit van and I'll watch it.

You joke but on another forum thread about the same subject someone's talking about that "sparring rumour" as if it actually happened

Wouldn't put it past Kugan to get Frank on the phone next for his own "side of the story"

[mickey1975]

Frank said it never happened. I sort of knew Frank when he was a fearsome man in the nineties. He admits in BM with our Terry he was dangerous.

[coneye]

Regards the sparring ,, you have an oiut of shape overweight guy , sparring a bigger guy in better shape , it was'nt a spar it was a play in the ring ,, regards technique there was non , just a bigger guy playing with a smaller guy ,, The smaller guy was neither being hit hard or hitting hard , ,,, But the bigger guy who dominates ,, what technique does he have ,, he throws a left and drops his right ,,, he throws a right and drops his left ,, and i'm afraid sparring smaller lesser guys is NOT gonna get him out of that habit ..

Now regards big John ,, he would off looked at that and said ,, i hope he can hit harder than that to hurt me , he would of then sat with one of his sons and said Mmmmm shall i belt him with a left hook , after he jabs , or should i drop the right hand on him after he drops his left , discisions desisions ,,,,,,

Don't worry about John , he's never stopped , , hes' still constantly been in the gym with his lads , doing pads moving around the ring , his fitness , to spar a few rnds with this guy will be alright , but most importantly his footwork , distancing , and breathing , will be there ,, and i've no doubt he still knows how to keep his hands up , something the other fella does'nt seem to know , and i'll bet John punches his weight , this fella does'nt its all arm punch .

John by whatever he wants , whenever he wants ,,, ......... ALTHOUGH ,, I do think when one fella at 56 wants to try and build a name up , and the other fella at 54 , wants to keep his name ,, BOTH of them should fooking grow up , there both being tossers ,,, Its not about raising money for the nhss , its about one guy wanting to be known has a tough guy , IDIOTS .

[margaret thatcher]

John Fury 1 stoppage in 13 fights (a guy retiring on a shoulder injury), big John could punch his big weight all right

Ya, doubt big J is an arm puncher either, not like anyone in his family is

[mickey1975]

Tony Booth had Big John sold out in Hull. £450 a table, until all this carry on happened.

[Cyclops]

Strange days for the forum when this pathetic joke of a fight between two old codgers is being talked about with even a modicum of interest. The bodybuilder bloke is some nobody loser and John shouldn't even be entertaining it. A bit embarrassing to be fair.

Now... Shane Fury vs Dean Whyte. That's the one we're all chomping at the bit for, right?

[Fray Bentos]

Strange days for the forum when this pathetic joke of a fight between two old codgers is being talked about with even a modicum of interest. The bodybuilder bloke is some nobody loser and John shouldn't even be entertaining it. A bit embarrassing to be fair.

Now... Shane Fury vs Dean Whyte. That's the one we're all chomping at the bit for, right?

I don't know if it is about the fight (or the lack of...) it might be something that we all recognise in ourselves, unused potential that leaves with the passage of time or the lack of potential but was never realised either way.

Obviously - this Theo guy has things that need to be dealt with before he is able to move on - I don't think John Fury beating him up is going to do much good, Fury knows his level but probably is a bit too egotistical to be reminded constantly he isn't the best fighter in his family - which is why he makes bold statements like this about being the hardest 54 year old man in the world.

If one is sensible - one has that conversation with himself when he turns around their age - it's a hard conversation to have and it means being really honest and admitting to failures and shortcomings one might have - it might be a bit too much for some people.

But we all have to have that conversation with ourselves sooner or later or else you're boring everyone down the pub and family get togethers about 'I couldda been playing for Tranmere Rovers/in the SAS/prop forward for Wales' I mean - it is all right telling other people I suppose (because people tend to think they're full of shite even if it is true ) but when you need to believe it yourself? That's when the problems start.

[margaret thatcher]

I guess it pays to be one of those dudes who was never 'hard' and who liked things like the books more, then you're still learning more and more etc and don't have your self identity defined by a dwindling ability you once had more of

[Fray Bentos]

I guess it pays to be one of those dudes who was never 'hard' and who liked things like the books more, then you're still learning more and more etc and don't have your self identity defined by a dwindling ability you once had more of

Willie Pastrano said something that is the best thing I have ever read about it - when he was world light heavyweight champion - he realised that there were some real, nasty dudes who were coming after him and he said he didn't really want that - because even though he liked people calling him the 'champ' it meant that there were some serious people focusing on him until it was took off him - which isn't a pleasant way to live.

Anyone with any sense of being physical has to realise you have your time - I think George Foreman has done none of us any favours with this because we think we can still take the young 'uns because George Foreman did to paraphrase Irvine Welsh in his book (The Acid House) about Dino Zoff winning the World Cup for Italy and real life - same with George Foreman.

It is funny really when George Foreman did his comeback - people thought he was mad for attempting it at 38 now people wouldn't think twice. So things do change but not that much for the vast majority of people.

Going back to what you're saying - you're best off having an identity that isn't around physical pursuits - I agree - and fighting pursuits most of all - because physical prowess goes sooner or later - has anyone ever in their lives lost respect Stephen Hawking because he couldn't fight sleep? Stephen Hawking gains more respect than probably any boxer - even on Boxrec.

[Cyclops]

Do I detect a little bit of melancholic self-reflection in the British and Irish forum tonight?

It's no bad thing.

[margaret thatcher]

John Fury, Mick Theo, now you two chaps have made me cry

[Blodhemn]

Dear me, what a prat

Tell you what though, this Mick Theo looks far too small to be fighting John Fury.

OK, Theo's pumped up on gear but he only looks about 5'8" or something (as another poster said). Fury's a naturally big guy. 6' 3" or so, a proper heavyweight with a big reach, etc. So Theo might be in for a shock if he gets in a ring with him.

Either way, the history of boxing is littered with examples of bodybuilders and weightlifters who have come badly unstuck when they think they can fight.

That girl turned around ready to slap the remaining droplets of piss out of him.

Yeah, like in that Aleksander fight, the bodybuilder did ok for 30 secs, then all form left him after getting hit once.

[Muttley]

IFL interview with John Fury:

I might be cynical saying this, but a small part of me wonders if this 'pending event' was pre-planned between the parties involved. Motivating factors being they both make a bit of cash and get themselves plenty of limelight, which they both seem to enjoy.

Will be interesting to see exactly what % goes to the NHS.

I do like John's honesty, I must say and and so what if it strokes a few egos. As long as every penny goes to the NHS fund and a proper charity is set up, fair play to them. And just as importantly, both come out healthy and safe. I'm, a very fit 54 year old and train every day, eat the right food etc. But i'm honest enough to say that training and the odd spar is one thing but at age 54, when a young pup catches you even 50% up the guts I do a great impression of a fallen tree

[forcefraser]

Didnt Tyson Fury donate his whole purse from the first Wilder fight to charity.................

[ewenhay]

56 and 54?

This one has marinated too long. These guys are almost as old as Mayweather and Pacquao were by the time they fought