Tyson Fury has been named fighter of the year by Ring magazine, greeting the accolade with some incredulity. “I’m the fighter of the year for the bible of boxing,” he said.
Fury is only the second Briton to win the award, following another Manchester boxer Ricky Hatton who was recognised in 2005 after beating the junior welterweight Kostya Tszyu.
“I’m just ecstatic to be part of a very short fighter of the year list from Great Britain and Ireland,” Fury said. “It’s like a VIP club and Ricky is a friend who is from the same part of town as me and that makes this all the more special.”
Fury’s award comes after he took Wladimir Klitschko’s WBA, IBF, IBO and WBO heavyweight belts in Düsseldorf last year.
“How many British fighters have travelled to their opponent’s home ground and came away as fighter of the year?” Fury asked the Ring website. “How many British fighters have gone to Germany and beat a man of Klitschko’s calibre, when he hadn’t lost in 11 years?”
