Kentucky Derby 2021: Tyson Fury will be at Churchill Downs cheering on the horse that bears his name

It’s not usually a story when a world champion boxer goes down to the track over the weekend, but Tyson Fury’s trip to Churchill Downs on Saturday breaks that expectation. The world heavyweight linear champion will travel to the Kentucky Derby to see if a horse of the same name, King Fury, will win the Run for Roses.

King Fury is currently at 20-1 odds in the first Triple Crown race. Where the name comes from, coach Kenny McPeek apparently decided that Fury would fight Deontay Wilder last February.

“It was a really nice fight and a lot of fun to watch, and it looks like he’s a very funny guy,” McPeek said. ESPN. “It’s another thing when you name foals, especially very well-bred and expensive foals, when you want to name them with a strong name.”

Other names McPeek was considering were “The Gypsy King” and “Gypsy King Fury.”

It was not until Tuesday that Fury became aware of the existence of this horse. McPeek offered the boxer VIP tickets to the big race to witness his nickname, an offer that Fury could not deny.

“It’s something I’ve always been interested in, the biggest horse race in the world,” Fury said. “I’ve always wanted to go to the Kentucky Derby. I’ve never had a chance to do that. This is a chance to do that.”

“I’m eager to go down there and meet King Fury and do it just because we win, we’re not losing here at the gypsy king’s residence. I hope it’s a big pony. I’ll see you on Saturday. Eager to go down there.”

Fury is currently speaking with Anthony Joshua, the head of the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO title belts. Fury is known as the “linear” champion because he never lost them in the ring, but they removed him and left others. The Kentucky derby is scheduled for Saturday, May 1, and has an ET time of 6:57 p.m.