Tommy Fury edged to victory in his crossover bout with strongman Eddie Hall in Manchester on Saturday night – as Manchester City star Phil Foden watched on.
Foden, who missed out on selection for England’s World Cup squad, was in attendance at the AO Arena for the clash billed as ‘Beauty vs. The Beast’ – with former Love Island star Fury taking on 38-year-old Hall, who won the World’s Strongest Man crown in 2017.
Hall went into the fight weighing 23st, compared to Fury’s 15.5st.
Tommy Fury, wearing the name of his son Midas on his shorts, beat Eddie Hall in Manchester
The bout, promoted by KSI’s Misfits outfit, was scheduled over six two-minute rounds and duly went the distance, with Fury recovering from a shaky first two rounds to earn a majority decision from the three judges – British boxers Derek Chisora and Tony Bellew and Misfits heavyweight champion Chase DeMoor.
One scored it as a draw, with two awarding the fight to Fury.
The 27-year-old then dedicated the victory to his newborn son. Fury and partner Molly-Mae Hague welcomed their second child a fortnight ago, and Fury wore his name on his shorts during the fight.
‘This was for my new baby boy, Midas,’ said Fury, who also paid tribute to his beaten opponent.
‘I’ve fought a lot of people; this guy can fight. He’s not slow – he’s fit. Thank you for taking the fight and thank you for a great night in Manchester.
Manchester City star Phil Foden attended the fight in his home city with partner Rebecca Cooke
‘I’m one of the biggest and best names globally, and this is where we’re at. For now, I want to go back to my baby boy.’
Both fighters were reported to be earning around £2.4million each for the fight, which was televised pay per view for £14.99 on broadcaster DAZN. Fury remains undefeated in his 12 fights.
After defeat, Hall vowed to return to mixed martial arts – but refused to close the door on his foray into boxing.
‘Tommy is a hard guy to catch. I had to have a good engine to keep up with the pace, and that’s what beat me. Hopefully I get back to MMA but if there’s boxing, I’ll box wherever it is.’
