John McDermott

Regardless of O'Connor's decision it was not Tyson Fury's fault the fight was scored incorrectly. McDermott was rightly granted a rematch and dispatched accordingly.

 

The BBBoC really should be looking at a similar scheme on the big shows.

 

Fury never ducked David Price.

All those contemporaneously in the know understood that the issue was television;

"We have a great schedule in place for Tyson on Channel 5 and I'm not prepared to have that affected by other promoters, purse bids and titles."
- Mick Hennessy, February 8 2012.

"As a promoter you take a risk when it comes to purse bids, you can bid too high and make a massive loss or too low and stand the chance that your fighter will fight on another promotion and TV channel."
- Frank Maloney, February 8 2012.

Fury's bouts were now being viewed by millions on Channel 5, with whom Mick and Tyson had a deal. Mick made an offer to Frank and Price to make the fight on Channel 5. They declined, opting to let it go to purse bids (and expectant that Fury would go a different route, leaving the titles vacant for them). They then used the perceived duck (for it was easy to spin it as such) for good PR.

Even Price admits this and no longer pursues the narrative, because their paths long since completely diverged and he has nothing to gain by doing so (he's more dignified and pragmatic than some);

"It went to purse bids, and they pulled out of the purse bids at the 11th hour. We kind of expected it, but we used it as a bit of a PR thing to say you'd ducked me and this and that."
- David Price, January 19 2020


The nub of it all is that Fury, outspoken and of traveller heritage, was anathema to many 'ardcore British boxing fans, who gravitated instead to Price, with his Empire stiff upper lip, his pedigree as an Olympic medallist, his string of quick T/KO wins and his burgeoning 'British Wlad' hype; they were more interested in using the supposed duck as a stick with which to beat Fury and boost their guy than in the actual reality of the matter.

Fury was never in his life afraid to meet David Price. Price wasn't in Fury's league and would have been taken apart. Fury sat him down when he was a teenager and Price was a mature man, and there would've been no headguard, vest and amateur code to save the Liverpool native in 2012.

I agree that it's a shame the bout never happened, though, as I would have cleaned up at those odds.

 

It ain’t that deep

 

I can testify, as one who saw it all unfold, that it absolutely was that deep for many on forums like this one. Fury was loathed, Price was the 'proper English' blokie on whom they'd pinned their hopes of shutting up the mouthy gyppo. Even if they are all embarrassed to be reminded of it now.

 

I did not say fury was afraid personally did I?

I said his handlers didn't fancy risking it.

 

I did not say that you personally did.

And I have explained that you were mistaken. An offer was, in fact, made to David Price.

 

Price was in with Wlad if he won against Grandad Tony Thompson

 

Just a sampling of popular sentiment concerning Fury in those good old days;

I have a kudos for @On The Money, though. Though I refute his assertion in this thread, from glancing back at a few old threads with the help of the search function I see he was astute enough to buck the popular wisdom that Price would beat Fury.

 

I miss Big Bad John McDermott. He was tough as nails and had underrated skills. Often overlooked due to his appearance but on any given night he was a handful for whoever was across the ring from him.

Seems like a nice guy too, the kind you’d like to get a pint with and hear the old war stories. I wish him the very best in life. I’ll always be a fan.

 

I remember watching Fury-Cunningham.

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Cunningham really should have thrown the kitchen sink at Fury in that round, after scoring such an early knockdown. Just couldn't land cleanly on him.

 

Price would have leathered Tyson back then. Shame Tyson went for some pointless Irish title instead lol.

 

Could you be any more brazen in your bitterness?

These are the kind of musings any sane person backspaces after they type out.

 

Was you even a fan back then? That was the domestic fight to make, but Tyson went fir a pointless belt instead.

 

A decade on, and you're still in the "Price would beat Fury" hypejob camp. Seriously, bud (no pun intended), lay off all of those drugs that you're always posting about.

Many of the Price fanboys like yourself soon moved on to Joshua, the next big hypejob (the documentary about price in 2012 "The Next Big Thing" was swiftly expunged from all access points) and look where that got you...

Fury is the only active heavyweight to win every belt available to him. Sensational achievement.