Tyson Fury Is Being Everyone but Himself
In a recent presser to hype his upcoming bout with Otto Wallin, Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury came out to Mexican themed music and wearing a traditional lucha libre wrestling mask. Along with the music and mask, Fury donned a Mexican flag as well. Numerous people have criticized the bold move.
Fury’s next fight, with Otto Wallin, is on September 14 and Mexican Independence Day will be on September 16. Clearly, Fury is trying to siphon some of that buzz into his own event. The bout with Wallin has been subject to poor reception and much criticism.
CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES
Throughout 2019, Fury and his promoter Bob Arum have desperately tried to build his brand in the American market. At this point in time, it does not seem to be going so well. The first, and most glaring problem is his level of competition. Both Otto Wallin, and his previous opponent, Tom Schwarz were virtually unheard of to the American public. The Gypsy King’s perceivable trail of push-overs opponents has done him no favors. Secondly, Fury refuses to stop talking about Deontay Wilder.
The Gypsy King had the chance to stage an immediate rematch with Wilder but chose to pull out, join Top Rank and align himself with ESPN. This move efficiently killed the rematch. Despite the fact that it was him who unashamedly sidestepped the rematch, Fury has labeled Wilder a coward, a bum, a doser and whole host of other derogatory titles. Yet, for those who understand that it was Fury that sabotaged the rematch, this out of line talk only makes him look foolish.
FINDING FURY
Lastly, Fury is hell bent on representing everything that he is not. Fury is called ‘The Gypsy King” because the UK native literally comes from a long line of gypsies. Yet, rather than uplift and promote his own heritage and lineage, the Gypsy King is obsessed with assimilation. When Fury fought Schwarz, he walked to the ring dripping from head to toe in red, white and blue. In fact, his whole theme was stolen wholesale from Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies. Some thought it was cute, many more viewed it as a lame attempt to brown-nose Americans.
Now, with his upcoming bout with Wallin, clearly Fury is all set to submerge himself in Mexican attire to endear himself to the Mexican crowd. Quizzically, since he has begun his American blitz, Fury has said virtually nothing about his own Gypsy culture or upbringing in the United Kingdom. Many feel that he would be doing himself a huge favor if he did so. One such person if the newly crowned WBO, WBA, IBF and IBO world heavyweight champion Andy Destroyer Ruiz Jr. Ruiz, a Mexican-American himself, took clear issue with Fury’s whimsical adoption of his flag and traditions.
“He’s representing Mexico, but he’s not even Mexican. What kind of shit is that?! […] Stay in your lane, represent your country, Tyson Fury represent your country, represent what you represent […] shouldn’t be representing another country he’s not even a little close of.” ~Andy Ruiz Jr, WBO, WBA, IBF and IBO heavyweight champion
By: Bakari Simpson
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