There has rarely been a British heavyweight scene stacked with such a depth of talent and unbeaten prospect George Fox is aiming to join that roster in the coming years.
Unified world champion Anthony Joshua and WBC titlist, Tyson Fury are leading the way, whilst Dillian Whyte and Joe Joyce are seemingly on the brink of world title shots themselves, all four men Fox (3-0) has shared rounds in sparring with.
Sparring has been the key for ‘The Future’, who has endured a frustrating period of inactivity featuring just three times since making his professional debut in June 2018, for reasons beyond his control.
Fight cancellations and the COVID-19 pandemic, which left so many fighters without work last year, has curtailed his progress.
However, ‘The Future’ does now seem bright after signing a promotional deal with Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren in June to join a stable which includes Joyce, Daniel Dubois, Nathan Gorman and David Adeleye, who he spent time with in Las Vegas with in Fury’s camp.
“I have genuine aspirations of becoming world champion and I believe, coupled with the history of Frank Warren’s establishment in the sport, I am with the right people to guide me to success,” Fox said at the time of signing with Queensberry.
“He has got vast experience and has been on this journey many times. Hopefully I will be another new addition who goes on to achieve great things.”
The 29-year-old was a key asset to Fury in preparation for his stunning seventh round victory over Deontay Wilder in their rematch in February 2020 and also trained alongside the ‘Gypsy King’ in Morecambe late last year.
The Londoner admits he has learnt a huge amount under the guidance of the two-time heavyweight world champion and believes the experiences will show in this next chapter of his career.
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“Tyson has been instrumental in teaching me certain fundamentals that suit me because I am 6ft 7in and a bit — tall and rangy,” he said to Queensberry Promotions.
“He has just helped me push on with my craft and given me some inside secrets.
“All of the guys I sparred have helped in their own way. When you’re sparring with guys at that level there are always tricks to be taken, lessons to be learned.
“We have used the time away to develop, to build, to grow and I’m looking forward to all that hard work coming to fruition on fight night.”
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Fox, who is trained by his well-respected father, Don Charles will make his long-awaited return to action on the undercard of Joyce’s clash with Carlos Takam at the SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday night, live on BT Sport when he faces debutant Reece Barlow.
Joyce has secured 12 straight professional victories in quick fashion and is now mandatory challenger for the WBO title and the winner of Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk, who meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 25th.
Fox is keen to make a swift breakthrough himself and believes with the appropriate amount of activity he can be in the conversation for a British title shot next year.
“This time next year it is realistic to hope I will be 10-0 and in British title contention,” he added.
“We are going to move as quickly as possible. I feel I have the experience without having too many fights.
“I have been in boxing a long time. I am always watching boxing, always observing and had top level sparring. It’s now about making sure I’m active.”
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So what to expect from Fox then. According to his father he has a style which mirrors Fury.
“Stylistically, the nearest person he resembles is Tyson Fury. His style is similar to Fury’s,” Charles said in an interview with Sky Sports.
“He is elusive, fast, agile and has incredible boxing IQ.”
