The Tyson Fury story and why I relate to it so much

I love boxing. It means a lot to me and I will explain to you why. But first, let me tell you the story of Tyson Fury. When I starting getting into combat sports (as a viewer) it was the rise of Conor McGregor (click for a crazy video) in the UFC and Anthony Joshua in heavyweight Boxing. This was the year(s) 2014/15. I loved it, the skill, confidence and entertainment of McGregor in a cage and the incredible power of Joshua in a ring. At that point, I heard about Tyson Fury too (and yes he is named after Mike Tyson), he just took the heavyweight throne from Wladimir Klitschko.

What stuck me with me back then was that Fury had to cancel his rematch with Klitschko due to drug use, end of 2016. If there is something I can’t stand is not taking your talent seriously, it sounded like he lost himself in fame and just partied away. I found Fury disgusting.

Fast forward to 2018 as the name Fury started popping up again, ready to make a comeback. I didn’t care. Until he won his first two fights (in two months) and wanted a title shot against the massive, World Champ, Deontay Wilder. It was when I saw this picture when I got intrigued:

The reason why I got intrigued is personal. I have always struggled with my own weight. I turned it around in 2014/15/16 and lost +- 30 kilos. Then I got hit with a shoulder injury, needed surgery and regained all the weight that I lost in 2017/18. I know the feeling, the feeling that Fury went through as well.

Tyson Fury, after this incredible physical comeback, went head to head with Deontay Wilder (many claim he is the hardest puncher of all time). He got knocked down TWICE, got back up (something nobody expected) and fought so well that the fight resulted in a draw. I was in awe, I was amazed by what I saw. The resilience to get back up from those punches, the boxing skills, the movement for a man his size (he is 2.06m tall), the confidence, he showed it all.

I wanted to read his biography: “Behind the Mask: My Autobiography” and that is when I became a fan forever. That is also when I knew, I was wrong with my judgement back in 2015/16. The real reason why he didn’t fight in over 3 years is because of his intense mental health struggles. In the summer of 2016 he was in such a dark place that he even tried to end his own life. He won my heart. After going through all of this, he regained his throne and became the best heavyweight boxer in the world for multiple years. He went on to beat Deontay Wilder twice, first by TKO and second by KO. He remained undefeated until 2024, when he unfortunately lost twice to the better man in Oleksandr Usyk (what a fighter!).

Back to me personally. I feel there is a lot of similarities between his and my story, although I am self aware enough to say my highs were never as high as his 😉. Luckily, my lows also weren’t as low as his.

After I had to return home (Venlo) from LA, thanks to COVID, I entered a very rough period in my life in which I basically lost it all. Physically (115kg) and mentally at my worst ever. Then there was the moment that gyms were, kinda, allowed to be open again. One of my good friends (who is probably reading this now) asked me to join him for a boxing class. From that class on, I never looked back and I fully, fully fell in love with boxing.

I started loosing weight (27kg +-), I started to regain my confidence, my optimism and more. I became a much better version of myself, the best version I ever was. The second biography of Tyson Fury came out, which inspired me even more. The journey took me about 2 years, until I got in a ring myself (twice). I will never forget stepping into VBSK in Amsterdam for the first time, and after this first training session coach Digna came up to me and asked “do you want to fight”. Yes, was the answer.

First fight was June 17th, 2023 and I followed up with a second one on October 14th, 2023. Believe it or not, in the first match I was knocked down and (just like Fury) got up and fought my heart out for the rest of this final round.

Knowing all this, you can imagine why I have such an admiration for Tyson Fury. Please do know, this is not me comparing myself to his greatness. This is me sharing my admiration and sharing how someone’s story can inspire others to thrive as well.

It also is proof that however dark the place is that you might be at, there is always, and I mean always, light at the end of the tunnel.

I can recommend boxing to anyone, no matter how (not) fit you are and not only in “bad” times. Boxing trains the mind in many ways, how to stay calm in the fire, helps with self confidence, humbleness, how to move your body and feet properly (yes this is a mind thing 🤣), how to analyze, playing chess and it teaches respect.

I want to thank all the people that helped me with my journey. My coaches and trainers in Venlo (Loek) and Amsterdam (Gino, Digna), all the people that I shared the ring with and my friends and family who supported me throughout.

In 2025 I want to expand my skills, not only in boxing but also in jiu-jitsu and maybe others.

Let me end this with some beautiful words by the man Tyson Fury himself:

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