According to Manchester legend Ricky Hatton, former heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) has lost weight and is once again very fast on his feet.
At his Lancashire facility, Hatton has been overseeing Fury's training for a planned ring return in 2018.
Fury has a hearing scheduled later this month with UK-Anti Doping, who claim the boxer tested positive for a banned substance in early 2015. If everything goes fine at the hearing, Fury can reclaim his boxing license.
Fury has been out of the ring since November 2015, when he stunned Wladimir Klitschko in Germany to capture the IBF, WBO, WBA, IBO heavyweight titles. He was stripped of the IBF belt for failing to make a mandatory defense and vacated his remaining titles last year to focus on his mental health issues.
Hatton tweeted out a recent photo where Fury looked severely overweight.
But Hatton cautions that Fury has continued to lose weight since that image and he's regained his quick reflexes in the ring.
"Don't let that picture [that Hatton tweeted] deceive you. His mobility and movement are good. His hands are lightning fast, and that is when he's carrying excess weight. He admits that he is carrying [too much weight]," Hatton said to Sky Sports.
"He is heading in the right direction, he is happy, and he has got his mojo back. It's great to see him looking so happy, and back in good form. My problems over the years have been well-documented and I'm very proud to say that I've fought back, so it's nice to see Tyson doing exactly the same.
"We had a Mancunian world heavyweight champion but he wasn't able to capitalise. He has been sidelined for two years when I would like to have seen him kick on. He is dead serious. I have no fear of admitting in the past I thought: 'Is this ever going to happen, Tyson?' He was saying the right things but actions speak louder than words. But now he has totally convinced the Hitman."
