7-year-old with autism ’like a changed boy’ after chat with Tyson Fury
The father of a young child with autism said he was "like a changed boy" after former world boxing champion Tyson Fury sat and chatted with him for 20 minutes and posed for selfies.
After working on the boxer’s show An Evening with Tyson Fury at Bristol’s Marriott Hotel, events supplier Daniel Fry, 29, took his two children along to collect equipment - where they spotted the heavyweight, much to the excitement of one of the boys.
Fry said his seven-year-old son Oliver, who has autism, immediately ran up to him "overly excited [and] tapping his feet and fingers".
"I explained to Tyson he has autism, hence the bombardment of questions, which didn’t phase Tyson at all and he picked both my boys up and then started talking whilst I thought I’d capture the moment," he said.
A photo posted by Fry to Twitter showed Fury sat with Oliver and younger brother Zachary, 3, as they spoke about the fact they both have family in Manchester.
Describing Fury as a "complete gentleman", Fry added: "All I can say [is] the moment they had was special and for the last two days he’s been telling all his friends about it and that he’s famous as I’ve shown him how many people have seen him [on Twitter].
"It was a touching moment of which Tyson didn’t have to take the time with him which he did... he has definitely shown a different side to what’s published in the media."
Fury, 29, appeared at the event on the same day he was cleared by the British Boxing Board of Control to fight once again, pending a medical, following his 2016 suspension over a positive drugs test.
His potential return raises the prospect of a mouthwatering match-up with reigning IBF and WBA world champion Anthony Joshua, and Fury appeared to be in good spirits during the event - with Fry saying the boxer even sang a Neil Diamond song on stage at the end of the night.
"He did a lot of autographs on the evening with selfies for no fees at all," Fry added. "Everybody said how down to earth he was too."
