Tyson Fury is the biggest name in boxing – helped by the fact that it was taken from one of the most famous heavyweights of all time.
The ‘Gypsy King‘ has followed in the footsteps of his father’s hero Mike Tyson to become the face of combat sports.
However, the former WBC title-holder has faced accusations from other heavyweight rivals that he doesn’t use his real name.
Both Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte have called Fury by the moniker ‘Luke’ – with fans and critics also latching onto the jibe.
But where does it come from and what’s the reason behind it?
Why do people call Fury ‘Luke’?
Fighters, including Brit rivals AJ and Whyte, believe the Gypsy King’s actual first name to be Luke and not Tyson.
There is no evidence to suggest these claims have any legitimacy.
Tyson Luke Fury was born in Wythenshawe on August 12, 1988.
‘Luke’ has been publicly listed as Fury’s middle name – as per its listing on Companies House, Boxrec and Wikipedia.
Ahead of Fury’s third fight with Deontay Wilder in 2021, Whyte claimed it had been changed to Tyson to sound tougher.
“My real name is Dillian. I know his real name is Luke,” Whyte told SunSport. “He changed it to Tyson to make himself sound harder.
“People can have a little look around on the internet and see for themselves.
“In boxing, the name Tyson is a lot more sellable than Luke.
“A lot of what Tyson does and says is a game, you can never take anything he says seriously or at face value.
“He might say he wants to fight me sometimes but how can you trust a man who doesn’t even use his own name?”
Joshua seemingly backed up Whyte’s claim the following year, when the pair exchanged social media barbs over a proposed fight.
Joshua wrote on X: “If there was an arbitration going on, why announce to the world we are fighting!” he wrote.
“The fight was signed! UNDISPUTED. Bare knuckle? You’re a good kid, don’t play with me Luke! I’ll slap your bald head & you’ll do nothing! Waste man.”
In the two years since that AJ post, fans often use the word ‘Luke’ on social media to poke fun where Fury is concerned.
Why was he called Tyson?
Fury’s dad John has said his son was named after boxing icon Mike Tyson following the early struggles he had as a newborn baby.
Fury was given slim survival hopes after being born three months premature and weighing just 1lb but came through healthy.
He told Fight Hub TV in January: “I was born eight weeks premature and I died three times when I was a baby and I weighed in at one pound in weight.
“I was born in 1988, my dad was a huge boxing fan and he was also a professional boxer so he called me after his greatest ever fighter Mike.
“He called me Tyson, it was my dad’s favourite fighter was Mike Tyson.
“Mike Tyson’s heyday was in 1988 – very fitting that I should go on to be the heavyweight champion of the world.
“Odds against that would be very stacked high, not in your favour. It’s a very interesting story but very achievable!”
Despite Fury’s assertion that the odds of him following in Iron Mike’s footsteps were not high, his father, John Fury, always believed in his success.
Describing the moment his son was born premature, Fury Snr explained to ITV: “The doctor said he probably won’t make it, he’s very weak.
“I said to all them doctors, he won’t be small, I said he’ll be nearly 7ft tall, 20 stone, the next heavyweight champion of the world.”
John was proved correct as the baby Tyson battled through months of adversity to survive, before then going on to become a boxer as his father and namesake both did before him.
John concluded: “I thought, ‘There’s only one name fitting for him, he’s fought hard to become a person living in this world.’
“Mike Tyson was the best in the world at that time.
“Tyson Luke Fury – that’s his name.”
