Sugar Hill Says Fury Looks Like 2022 Version — One Week Out from Makhmudov

• Sugar Hill Steward says Tyson Fury reminds him of the version that stopped Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April 2022 — calling him mentally and physically sharp after their Thailand training camp
• Fury returns to the ring after a 15-month layoff to face knockout artist Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11, live on Netflix
• Despite the positive camp reports, questions remain — Fury has previously claimed he'll train himself, the family rift with John Fury is public, and Makhmudov carries genuine one-punch power

The Whyte Comparison Is Significant

Right then. When Sugar Hill Steward talks, you listen. This isn't a hype man trying to sell tickets — this is one of the most respected trainers in boxing giving his honest assessment. And what he's saying is significant: Fury looks like the fighter who walked into Wembley Stadium in April 2022 and stopped Dillian Whyte with one devastating uppercut in the sixth round. That version of Fury was brilliant. He was 270 pounds of controlled aggression, his jab was snapping, his footwork was crisp, and when the moment came to finish Whyte, he didn't hesitate. It was the last time we saw the best of Tyson Fury — before the Usyk fights, before the controversies, before the layoff. If that's genuinely what Steward is seeing in camp, then Makhmudov is in serious trouble. Steward has said Fury is "moving good" and is in "a very happy place mentally and physically" after their training camp in Thailand. The mental side is crucial here. Fury has always been at his most dangerous when his head is right — when he's enjoying boxing rather than treating it as a burden. The Thailand camp was reportedly intense but positive, and Steward's body language in interviews has been genuinely upbeat.

But There Are Red Flags

Make no mistake: I want to believe Sugar Hill. But there are things that don't quite add up. Fury himself said at a press conference that he's training himself for this fight. That directly contradicts the idea that Steward has been overseeing a structured camp. Which is it? Is Sugar Hill the head trainer or is Fury doing his own thing with occasional input? Then there's the John Fury situation. His own father publicly disowning him a week before a fight is the kind of distraction that would derail most fighters. John says the relationship is "destroyed completely" and he won't be at Tottenham. Love him or hate him, John Fury has been in Tyson's corner — literally and figuratively — for his entire career. To go into a fight without that presence is new territory. And then there's the layoff. Fifteen months out of the ring at 37 years old. The Whyte fight was when Fury was 33, in his physical prime, coming off the back of three Wilder fights that had kept him razor sharp. This is a different proposition entirely. Ring rust is real, legs slow down, timing goes off. One training camp doesn't erase fifteen months of inactivity.

Makhmudov Is No Walkover

Let's not forget who's standing across the ring. Arslanbek Makhmudov is 19-1 with 19 knockouts. Every single win by stoppage. The man doesn't know what a scorecard looks like. He's 6'5", 250 pounds, and hits like a train that's running late. His one loss — a points defeat to Agit Kabayel — exposed his limitations against a mobile, clever boxer. But against anyone who stands in front of him, Makhmudov is genuinely terrifying. If Fury comes out sluggish, takes time to find his rhythm, and lets Makhmudov land early, this could go wrong very quickly. The Canadian-based Kazakh doesn't need many opportunities — one clean right hand and the night is over. Dillian Whyte warned about this earlier in the week, saying Makhmudov is "very, very dangerous" and shouldn't be underestimated.

My Call: Fury Stops Him, But It's Rougher Than Expected

I still think Fury wins this. If Sugar Hill is even half right about what he's seeing in camp, Fury's jab and movement should be too much for Makhmudov over twelve rounds. The Kazakh will come forward, Fury will move and counter, and somewhere around round seven or eight, the accumulation of jabs and right hands will slow Makhmudov down enough for Fury to close the show. But it won't be pretty. I think Fury gets caught at least once in the first four rounds — probably a big right hand that backs him up and makes everyone in the stadium hold their breath. That's the moment that defines the fight. If Fury absorbs it, resets, and goes back to boxing, he wins comfortably. If it genuinely hurts him and Makhmudov smells blood, we could be looking at one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history. The full card at Tottenham is stacked — Benn vs Prograis on the undercard, and the Netflix production will be massive. But all eyes will be on one man. Seven days out. Let's see which version of Fury turns up.