Tyson Fury details ‘sixth sense’ moment he learned cousin Rico had been killed

Boxing icon Tyson Fury has detailed the 'shocking' moment he learnt his cousin, Rico Burton, had been murdered in a brutal stabbing attack.

The WBC world heavyweight champion was watching Anthony Joshua take on Oleksandr Usyk from a villa in Mallorca when the killing took place in August 2022. However, it wasn't until the morning after that bout that 'The Gypsy King' was awoken by a call from another family member explaining the tragic news.

Fury, 34, went over the incident as part of his upcoming nine-part series, At Home With the Furys, which will be released on Netflix on August 16. Almost exactly 12 months later, fans get a behind-the-scenes look at the Morecambe native's response to the horrific attack.

"Last night, I was on a high after the [Joshua vs] Usyk fight. We had a party, me and Paris were dancing. It was an excellent night," said Fury in a sombre address to the camera. "And then this morning, I was in bed and I got a phone call telling me that my cousin, Rico, has been killed.

READ MORE: Tyson Fury plots offer to buy Blackpool airport – much to wife Paris' disapproval

"It was just like someone had took the plug out of me, and all [the] life had come out. Rico had a whole lot of life to live. And now it's finished. Shocking news. Shocking."

The 33-0-1 star said he 'knew it was a bad phone call' when he saw his other cousin contacting at 7am on a weekend. "You know, your sixth sense," added Fury.

"Me and Rico were really close," Tyson continued. "We trained at the same boxing club together, we used to play up and down when we were small kids. Hide and seek, building dens, all that sort of stuff as kids, we were really close. Precious, precious moments."

Burton – who was 31 at the time of his death – was stabbed in the neck by a seven-inch blade when one of his friends got into a scuffle outside a bar in Altrincham.

Liam O'Pray was sentenced was convicted of Burton's murder and received a life sentence earlier this month, serving a minimum of 28 years behind bars before parole. The 22-year-old delivered a single stab wound that severed the major carotid artery in Burton's neck and caused the significant blood loss that led to his death.

Follow the Daily Star on Threads

Wife Paris and father John each revealed Fury 'doesn't handle death well', and the then-retired fighter responded by locking himself away. However, The Gypsy King was eager to fulfil his tour date in Mallorca that following night, which was the purpose of the family's trip to Spain.

"He is a showman and that's what they do," gushed Paris. "Rain or shine, he'll do what he needs to do."

Burton's untimely death appeared to play a leading role in Fury's decision to come out of retirement, with the unbeaten ace soon commenting on his new appreciation for life.

"So this might be a turning point in my life, for sure, with that bit of bad news," he told wife Paris in front of cameras. "It made me wake up and realise there's [a] very short time on Earth."

It's not long after the family's return to Morecambe that Fury revealed to his partner that he had secured a return to the ring, which was initially planned for November 2022. The Gypsy King told his spouse he 'didn't know' at the time whom he'd be fighting, but ended up clinching a third win over Derek Chisora with a 10th-round stoppage last December.

Fury is now set to face former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in Riyadh on October 28 in what could be another blockbuster bout. However, fans are learning his comeback may never have materialised were it not for one awful tragedy.

Source: Read Full Article