John Fury went viral on Monday for his stunning rant at Carl Froch ahead of a press conference involving his son, Tyson Fury.
The media gathered at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Tyson’s press conference with Arslanbek Makhmudov ahead of their fight on the 11th of April at the same venue. However, while all eyes were intended to be on ‘The Gypsy King’ ahead of his return to the ring, ‘Big John’ created the biggest headlines coming out of the event for his furious verbal attack on Froch.
Footage showed the 60-year-old Fury storming into the venue and charging towards the former super middleweight world champion, who was working as a pundit for Netflix.
Froch’s broadcast colleague, heavyweight legend Lennox Lewis, was also caught up in the drama. After ranting about ‘The Cobra’ as he approached, John quickly turned his attention to Lewis.
Taking a far more friendly tone, Fury said: “You know me Lennox, I’m not a f***ing coward. “I was going to fight you in your f***ing heyday. Did I back away from you?”
After Lennox agreed that he hadn’t, John declared: “Put some respect on the name of John Fury!”
Before too long, the elder Fury was back to goading Froch, even as he was being held back by security.
“Get that f***ing Carl Froch here. If he wants it, I’m here. If you’re not willing to put up, shut up. Run like a b***h Carl Froch, run like a b***h.”
Security eventually led John away, while Froch was pulled from the rest of the Netflix broadcast, presumably over fears that him staying would only lead to more trouble later on.
Froch did nothing on Monday to instigate the confrontation, so why was John so keen to confront him? The answer lies in the pair’s history with one another.
Carl Froch and John Fury’s Rivalry Explored
Since retiring from the ring after knocking George Groves out at Wembley Stadium in May 2013, Froch has forged a successful career as a pundit and social media personality, namely via his YouTube channel, Froch on Fighting.
Prior to Tyson’s first fight with Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, Froch tore apart The Gypsy King’s record, claiming that many of the names on his record “weren’t that good”.
Big John immediately took issue with this, promising to “kick Froch’s a****” the next time he saw him. Froch responded shortly afterwards in a video addressing Fury’s comments.
“You won’t be kicking anybody. You won’t come near me,” insisted Froch.
The duo’s rivalry has persisted ever since, with Froch routinely taking shots at John and his presence in Fury’s camp, particularly in relation to his corner work during Tyson’s May 2024 defeat to Usyk.
Family Member Reveals Why John Fury Confronted Carl Froch
Speaking to Boxing King Media after the Makhmudov press conference, Shane Fury – brother of Tyson and son of John – revealed that his father’s outburst was directly relation to Froch’s comments about the family on social media.
“It seems to me that you can talk about someone online in your videos, but not expect someone to say something when you see them,” Shane said of the confrontation.
Monday’s press conference isn’t the first time that John has called Froch out for a fight. In February 2024, after George Groves jokingly suggested a bout between the two, Fury called out Froch for a fight at Wembley Stadium.
Nothing ever came of it, and with good reason. For all the attention he generates, John only fought 13 times as a professional (8-4-1) and hasn’t competed in a licenced contest for 31 years.
Froch, an International Boxing Hall of Famer, has a far more decorated resume. However, he’s now been out of the ring for almost 13 years. As much as the pair may never see eye-to-eye, a fight should never become reality.
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