Hughie Fury Has Time on His Side to Follow in the Footsteps of Cousin Tyson Fury
While it may not have been in the manner he hoped, Hughie Fury is now in possession of his first professional title.
The unbeaten heavyweight picked up the vacant WBO inter-continental belt on Saturday, beating Fred Kassi on a technical decision.
A nasty cut above Fury's left eye, caused by an accidental clash of heads, forced the fight at the Copper Box Arena in London to be stopped in Round 7.
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Ahead on all three of the judges' scorecards, Fury (20-0, 10 KOs) was declared the winner.
At 6′6″, the 21-year-old should hardly go unnoticed. However, the exploits of his famous cousin, heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury, often leave Hughie in the shade.
Against Kassi—a 36-year-old who had gone 10 rounds with Chris Arreola and Dominic Breazeale in his last two bouts—the younger Fury topped the bill in the English capital. It was his chance to make a statement, even if Tyson was still at ringside to steal away some of the spotlight.
However, the night didn't quite go to plan.
An unusually lethargic Fury struggled to find a way to break down a tricky opponent.
Fury has a style that suggests he could think of better places to be than a boxing ring—he keeps his hands low and throws a lot of punches from the waist. His relaxed method works well when rivals go at him, but Kassi wasn't interested in making Fury look good.
Big Fred barely engaged in the early rounds, while his switch-hitting style led to a frustrating main attraction that never quite caught fire. Few complained when an injury halted proceedings early.
Peter Fury, Hughie's father and trainer, wasn't too impressed with the display. In a video interview with iFL TV (h/t Scott Gilfoid of Boxing News 24), he said:
"A win’s a win, but it didn’t impress me. He needs to do a hell of a lot more, and this is why he needs decent level opposition that is durable.
With Kassi, he was never in danger of losing, but he was in a fight. These are the fights we need to get for Hughie, because these are the fights that he needs to work out.
He’s 21 and he’s already had a lot of different styles. Kassi is a switch hitter, causing him problems. Not being able to work it out led to frustration. He was doing a few good things right, but also a lot wrong as well. It was a great learning fight.
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The good thing for Fury is he has time on his side.
Having claimed a gold medal at the 2012 Youth World Amateur Boxing Championships, the Stockport-born boxer doesn't need to try to run before he's mastered walking.
Although he has already fought 92 rounds in the paid ranks, nearly three times as many as reigning IBF champion Anthony Joshua (34), Fury is not yet the finished article.
What he is, however, is a talented young prospect.
At 21, he could easily still be in the amateur ranks with the aim of appearing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Instead, he is learning on the job as a pro.
He may have been further along already, had it not been for a food allergy. The issue was so frustrating that he contemplated retirement, per quotes given to Tom Hopkinson of the Mirror: "At one time I thought I'd never box again but we found the problem.
"I cut out all dairy products, gluten, chicken, some fish, a lot of seeds. I can't touch cucumber."
Comparisons with Tyson will be inevitable, if slightly unfair.
Hughie is already better in one area—he is more dedicated to his profession. His regular sparring partner admitted as much while appearing on BoxNation's live coverage at the Copper Box:
Tyson is the taller out of the two—he stands at 6'9"—but the duo do share some similar traits.
They are both skilled big men who, under the guidance of their trainer, Peter, have been taught to build behind the jab, a valuable weapon for a heavyweight.
They also understand the importance of footwork and head movement, both in terms of attack and defence. Tyson's upper-body agility was crucial in his win over Wladimir Klitschko at the end of 2015.
So, what's next for Hughie?
Per BritishBoxers.co.uk, he is ranked at No. 5 among British heavyweights. The two men either side of him in the list—fourth-placed Dereck Chisora and sixth-ranked Dillian Whyte—would make for interesting opponents at some stage in the future.
Looking further afield, there are plenty of candidates. Malik Scott, who was talked about in the past as a potential opponent for Joshua, or Christian Hammer of Germany would be solid names to add to a CV.
The Furys have been through the process before. Tyson's 21st fight was against Steve Cunningham—he was dropped by the former cruiserweight world champion before recording a knockout in Round 7.
According to Elliot Foster of BoxingScene.com, the plan had been for Hughie to fight again as early as June 4. That is not likely to happen now, as his injured eye will need time to heal.
It will be hoped he is ready by July 9 when Tyson defends his IBO, WBA and WBO titles in the rematch with Klitschko, where a space on the undercard awaits Hughie.
Once again, Tyson will be the main focus at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.
However, Hughie can still get a taste of the big occasion as he bids to follow in his cousin's rather large footsteps.
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