TYSON FURY'S rise in heavyweight boxing glory can be largely attributed to his father John.
The 33-year old WBC champ, who brilliantly defended himself against Deontay wilder on Saturday, was featured in Tyson Fury: Tyson Fury: Gypsy King, an ITV documentary about warts and all.
His Irish-born father was also a boxer, and he fought 13 professional bouts.
He claims that he also fought in bare-knuckle combat and won PS100,000.000 in just one bout.
John Fury, 55 years old, was also sentenced to four years for giggling a man's eye in a sickening attack.
John's influence is so strong that Tyson left Ben Davison, his long-term trainer, because of John's influence.
Like Tyson, John's life started in the ring.
He was forced to make a choice. It was a family tradition to fight in Galway.
He was also a skilled at it.
John, who stands at 6ft 3in tall, fought 13 times in pro boxing during the 1980s and 1990s to earn an 8-4-1 record at heavyweight.
In 1989, Neil Malpass, a Yorkshire-born fighter, defeated him in his one title fight.
John was beaten by Journeyman Malpass, who won the contest on points after a ten round match.
John lost his final fight against Steve Garber in Manchester at the G-Mex Centre, Manchester in 1995. John continued fighting four times more.
STREET FIGHTING MAN
He was also a skilled bare-knuckle fighter.
John, who later coached Tyson as well as his brother Love Island star Tommy, said to the Daily Star that he fought an Irishman named Tommy in 1992.
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"With stakes, everything, I came up with over a hundred Grand.
"It was almost always over in seconds when I lost the fights that I had.
"I wasn't a big puncher but once I started, I wouldn't stop swinging until they were cold.
"I didn't come up for air. I wanted to kill. I would hit them with my fists and elbows until they fell and then give up.
"If they didn’t, I’d kick them off their faces, it was upto them. After that, shake hands with the other person and move on to the next.
"In my twenties, I was a really powerful force."
After quitting fighting, he became Tyson’s trainer and guided him to the British title in just eight contests.
NAMED HIS SON AFTER MIKE TYSON
Tyson Fury was the undisputed heavyweight champion when he was born in 1988.
The baby was born three months prematurely and weighed only 1 lb.
Doctors gave Fury little chance of survival, but he proved that he was a fighter right from the beginning.
On Tyson Fury – The Gypsy King, Father John Fury explained that he was only a pound heavier than he should have been.
"The doctor said that he won't be able to make it because he is very weak.
"I told all the doctors that he wouldn't be small. I said that he'd be almost 7ft tall and weigh 20 stone. He'll be the next heavyweight champion in the world.
"I thought, "There's only one fitting name for him. He's worked hard to be a human being living in this world.
"Mike Tyson was at that time the greatest in the world.
"Tyson Luke Fury, that's his name"
A TIME FOR REFLECTION
Fighting got John in serious trouble in 2011.
John attempted to sever Oathie Sykes' eye in a fight at an auto auction.
John, the self-confessed "hardest man in Britain", broke down in court when he asked for a more lenient sentence.
The judge heard him say: "I'm concerned about my son. His boxing career is at risk.
"If I could give his eye to see if he would get back to my kids I would - I beg you for my life."
Skyes, however, offered a different testimony. He said: "It was almost like he was trying get into my brains through the socket."
RELEASED AFTER HIS SON WENT CHAMP
After serving four years, John was released prisoner in 2015.
His family celebrated Tyson's victory over Wladimir Klitschko, a German heavyweight champion, two months later.
John was at the ringside and couldn't be prouder of his boy.
Reformed John was also available to be a calming influence in his son's lives.
John said to BBC: "Sometimes, his mental state can take him away, but I can understand that and help with that."
"I have been extremely unlucky but also very fortunate because my son, who was in prison with me, has not lost [during his time] and continues to grow by leaps and bounds.
"But if he's going down the wrong path, I can pull him up to tell him that we don't need this."
NON AFRAID TO SPEAK HIS MIND
John, who was released from prison, has been a media pundit on his son's fights. He is primarily fighting in the US, as he cannot get a visa for the States because of his criminal history.
Fury said that he was a naughty boy, and it is not a good idea to hide it. I'm not allowed to enter the country."
After his son's struggle to defeat Otto Wallin, he was critical of Tyson’s trainer Ben Davison. He also survived a severe gash in his eye, which required plastic surgery.
It was not an accident that Davison was released from his duties following that fight.
He said to BT Sport, "I've never seen his character as evil."
He looked drained and overweight, it was clear he had left the gym.
He said, "I'm being truthful about it, he’s my son. I’m straight talking, that’s the worst thing I've ever seen in my son."
"But what can I say? He showed great heart, and I am proud of him.
"He should go back to the drawing board to see what went wrong. Be honest and admit that things haven't gone as planned.
"He must look at where he has gone wrong." "I have a half-baked idea, but it's mine."
