TYSON FURY got a taste of future heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois while weighing 27 STONE and with just one shoe on.
At the time, Fury had vacated the unified titles he won against Wladimir Klitschko amid a battle with depression and substance abuse.
And he wondered down to watch cousin Hughie spar a 19-year-old Dubois – who was just embarking on his professional debut.
Fury was over TEN STONE his fighting weight at the time and could barely keep his two shoes on when he got in the ring with Dubois.
He told TNT Sports in 2020: “I came down to the gym one random Saturday morning, got the bug to have a little spar and Daniel was sparring with Hughie at the time and a few other lads in the gym.
“I just wanted to have a spar, it’s in me isn’t it, it’s what I do.
“I remember I had no equipment with me, no head guard, no bandages.
“I don’t remember exactly what I was wearing but I remember I had one shoe off and one shoe on, the shoe came off and it was what it was.
“We had a little move around. Big fat 27 stone, I had a move around and it was a pleasure.
“He was only a young man then, I think he had only had one fight then or maybe he hadn’t even had a professional fight.
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“But I found he was a very good fighter, straight away.”
Fury later returned to the ring in what is considered one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all time.
He defeated Deontay Wilder, 38, to win the WBC title and reigned for four years until losing to Oleksandr Usyk, 37, in May.
Usyk became the first four-belt undisputed heavyweight champion ever but vacated the IBF belt to proceed with his December 21 rematch with Fury.
Dubois, 27, was meanwhile elevated from interim champion and knocked out Anthony Joshua, 34, in his first title defence.
The Londoner’s coach has now warned AJ about taking on the rematch.
