Former world cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson has admitted he had some serious troubles when he sparred the young Tyson Fury years ago.
Nelson, 53, remembers his first encounter with then 16-17 years-old Fury who was going after Nelson in a sparring session.
Although there’s no clarification when exactly that happened, it is safe to say that Fury was 16-year-old when Nelson retired in 2005.
“Tyson was really young, and he was a big man,” said Nelson to IFL TV in talking about his sparring with Fury years ago.
“I was in the backend of my career ticking over, and Brendan said, ‘Get in the ring with him.’ So I’m like, ‘Really?’ I got in with Tyson.
“Yeah, I knew who he was. His dad was one of my neighbors. I knew who he was. His dad came in with him, and Brandan is in his usual corner in the ring. And his dad [John Fury] stood on the outside of the ring, which is a bit odd because usually people will sit or stand on the floor?
“His dad got on the side of the ring. Tyson was throwing shots and missing, and I was slipping. He was fast. The thing is, I was trying to hit him. It was like we were both trying to catch flies. I thought, ‘For a big guy, you’re bloody fast and awkward to hit.’ I couldn’t touch him. I thought, ‘You’re making mistakes,’” said Nelson on sparring Fury.
