'I was robbed vs Tyson Fury – now I’m a rubbish clearer and he’s worth £70million'

A heavyweight boxer who was "robbed" of victory against Tyson Fury is now a rubbish clearer.

WBC champion Fury has been a dominant force in the heavyweight division for almost a decade, skyrocketing to fame after his world title win against Wladimir Klitschko in 2015. He is now set to earn a staggering £78million from his undisputed clash with Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

However, the undefeated boxer's career path could have taken a different turn if not for a controversial win early in his career. In 2009, a then 7-0 Fury took on a boxer named John McDermott in Brentwood, Essex, for the English heavyweight title.

McDermott, a seasoned fighter with 25 wins and five losses under his belt, was mockingly referred to as 'McMuffin' by the trash-talking Fury. Yet he dominated his younger opponent, even rocking him in the eighth round of their bout.

However, to the shock of everyone present, referee Terry O'Connor declared Fury the winner, leading commentator Jim Watt to question if he had raised the wrong hand. The baffling decision - an 8-2 victory in favour of the Mancunian - sent McDermott on a downward trajectory as his boxing career gradually fizzled out, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The 44-year-old told The Times: "I definitely won it, mate. I don't know how the referee scored it eight rounds to him and two to me. Fury didn't say a word. I was literally waiting in the changing room for someone to come and say, 'There's been a mistake.'”

McDermott faced a crushing loss in the rematch with Fury the following year, being stopped in the ninth round to mark his fourth consecutive defeat. He quit boxing for good three years later, having been left feeling bitterly let down by the sport.

Since then former English champions McDermott has turned to rubbish clearance jobs in Essex. "It's a bit quiet at the moment. Not much work around," he confessed.

"I made 25 grand from fighting him [Fury]. I didn't earn enough to buy a house. Two fights a year, usually 15 grand each, minimum wage innit? I was not bitter at Tyson Fury when I stopped, but I was at the sport. I still am."

Even John Fury, Tyson's larger than life father, thought his son had been lucky, conceding to McDermott in the car park that he had "won" after the original fight. Adding another fascinating layer to the controversial decision is the fact the referee had previously been knocked out twice by McDermott's father, Stan.

After his two losses, finding matches proved difficult for McDermott as he was considered too risky for challengers, stepping into the ring just four times in the following years. He doesn't hold any resentment towards Fury, praising his achievements as "fantastic", but can't shake off the disappointment of not being able to secure his family’s financial future.

Fury has certainly achieved that and then some, amassing a fortune after 35 fights. Even without considering his earnings from the upcoming Usyk showdown, the 35-year-old boasts a net worth of £68m, surpassing even Anthony Joshua's £64m, as per Celebrity Net Worth.