Two-time world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson "The Gypsy King" Fury and singer-songwriter Don McLean have combined their considerable forces on an unlikely remake of McLean's 1970 classic American Pie.
Fury has a long history with the song, and has sung it several times in public. One performance came during the post-fight press conference that followed Tyson's draw with then-champ Deontay "The Bronze Bomber" Wilder at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in December 2018, while another came after he defeated German fighter Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas in 2019. On a third occasion, Tyson serenaded the MGM Grand Garden Arena crowd in Paradise, Nevada, after defeating Wilder in their February 2020 rematch.
After Fury knocked Wilder out in the 7th round of the fight – in which both men were guaranteed more than $25 million in earnings – he took the mic and said, "I said I'd sing a song tonight didn't I?!", before launching into his version of American Pie, encouraging the crowd to sing along.
"He did very well," McLean told TMZ at the time. "I would say he's the #1 bar room singer. Excellent job! The thing that knocked me out was that everybody, all the old folks, young folks, everybody knew all the words. Kind of a thrill for me to see that!"
Now the pair have hooked up to remake the original, and while McLean does the bulk of the heavy lifting, Fury does join in towards the end. The accompanying video features McLean performing in a boxing ring, interspersed with footage from Fury's career, including the fights with Wilder and the iconic moment he rose from the canvas after receiving an apparent knockout blow during their third fight.
Fury is set to scheduled to defend his title against fellow British boxer Dillian "The Villain" Whyte at London's Wembley Stadium this weekend. McLean is currently touring the US to celebrate American Pie's 50th anniversary. The tour will arrive in The UK in September. Visit the Don McLean website for complete schedule.
