No professional opponent had beaten Tyson Fury, until Oleksandr Usyk's brilliant display in May made the Ukrainian the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
It was the first time Fury's hand was not raised at the end of a fight since he was beaten by Russian amateur Maksim Babanin in 2007.
The undeveloped history of the British was a source of great pride. But going into the rematch, which will take place this Saturday, live Sky Sports box officeFury did not dwell on the loss.
“I haven't lost in 17 years as a boxer. That's a long time,” said Fury Sky Sports.
“I haven't really thought about it.
“I wouldn't have done something differently if I had the decision or not. I didn't really think about it to be fair. I don't even focus on the past, I just focus on the day at hand.”
Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will play Saturday live on Sky Sports Box Office
But he could not deny that the back has given him a new edge for the rematch.
He said: “Sometimes I think, if I'm going to run in something, I think right this person (person) has made a decision about me, I want that reversed in the next match.
“Of course I'm competitive, I'm competitive. So I think like that.”
Top Rank's Bob Arum, who co-promotes Fury, sees a fighter burned out by that first loss. “I think it really blew him away so he's trained a lot worse than he did before,” Arum said. Sky Sports.
“In other words he always trained hard, but the commitment for this one is far and above that for any fight except maybe the second (Deontay) Wilder fight.
Famously, after a controversial draw in his first fight with Wilder, Fury entered the American and stopped him in their rematch.
Undercard fighter Isaac Lowe, who has trained with Fury since he was a child and knows him better than most, is sure that the former champion will rally from this setback as well.
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Fury promises to inflict 'a lot of pain' on Usyk
“Look at his history, when he's been put down or whatever it is, he always comes back and knocks the other guy down,” Lowe said. Sky Sports.
“I expect the best version of Tyson Fury. There's not a hell of a lot different that he needs to do right. Just little things, keeping more focus and staying focused and I think small changes here and there will make a difference in this fight.
“Everybody has been written off his whole career. When he went up to 30 stone, before he boxed (Wladimir) Klitschko, when there was the Wilder fight, this and that, and he always comes back against the odds and does it.
“How much to do this time.”
It was a high-pressure, high-profile event when Fury first faced Usyk. But Fury's youth provides another clue as to how he will respond to that loss.
In 2006 Tyson Fury boxed David Price in the North West final of the ABA national championships. That may seem like a small issue, but on the amateur circuit at that time it was as big as it could get.
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Back then Macaulay McGowan trained with Fury at Jimmy Egan's amateur boxing club.
Remembering that moment McGowan told Sky Sports: “It was just the North West final. It was really good. Tyson wanted to get on in Great Britain. Obviously David Price was an international winner, a gold medalist at the Co- He was going to the Olympics. All of a sudden this kid, age 17, came out of nowhere, started trashing him in the Boxing News and all that.
“It came out a few weeks later that David Price didn't even care about the ABAs, but then he saw Tyson trashing him in the Boxing News.
“It was a big fight. It was like a world title fight for sure, I remember it today. He wanted a place in the 2008 Olympics and he got the chance to prove it.”
Fury lost that decision to Price. “He was a little down, (thinking:) 'I'm never going to do that, I'm never going to do this.' Then he's back in the gym, and he's training.
“He won the ABAs and went on after that. It's like water off a duck's back for him. He cracked on. Don't get me wrong he has his low points, he's dead down, disappointing, yes It was devastating. I don't think he wanted to feel that again.
“I can see Tyson go: 'No, you're not getting it this time' and put his head down.
“I think he'll come back stronger. For sure.”
Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury's epic heavyweight rematch will be live on Saturday 21st December. Sky Sports box office. Book Usyk v Fury 2 now!
