“I’m still not happy about his decision to return to the ring,” John said.

“He’s done what he’s up to do in his career. Two time heavyweight champion of the world, made plenty of money. He’s nothing to prove to nobody, and yet he’s here again.

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John attributed his son’s inability to walk away to the intoxicating nature of fame and competition.

“All I can say is, it’s an addiction,” he explained. “Once you’ve been in the spotlight for so many years you crave it.

“The Gypsy King has taken him over completely. He is the Gypsy King.

“Tyson Fury got lost a few years ago on the road somewhere. This man’s a Gypsy King, the entertainer, the fighter.

“He’s a part time family man because this is his love. Boxing is his first and foremost. The fight game is the love of his life. He’s proven it because he don’t need to do these things.”

John revealed that communication between father and son has broken down, confirming there has been considerable distance between them since the comeback plans emerged.

Tyson himself acknowledged earlier on Monday that his father had ceased speaking to him for a period after learning of the return.

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John believes his attempts to counsel his son have been undermined by those surrounding the fighter.

“I don’t think he listens to me because of the people around him,” he said.

“I just think there have been that many people in his ear about me – his father – this, that and the other.

“People sort of disrespecting me. If you get told enough times, ‘your father’s this, your father’s that,’ you start believing it.”

He suggested his long-standing influence is being deliberately diminished by individuals within Tyson’s camp.

John expressed pointed concerns about whether his son will arrive at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11 in the physical condition required to face a dangerous heavyweight opponent.

“I want to see him coming in against this man with a pair of shoulders – big, solid, muscled up for him,” he stated.

“I don’t want to see a thin, fat guy who’s done a bit of skipping and some bag work. I want to see a guy who’s worked like an animal.”

The father made clear that training camp performance offers no guarantee of success when the lights come on.

“He feels good in training, but in training is one thing. In the ring, under the lights is another,” John cautioned.

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He indicated he does not expect to be present at the Thailand training camp, suggesting others will intervene for financial gain.

John drew a stark contrast between the loyalty of family and the motivations of paid advisers surrounding his son.

“When you lose loyalty towards your family, who know you better than anybody and you put your trust in total strangers it’s always bad,” he warned.

He argued that those on the payroll lack the courage to demand more from the fighter.

“I love my son. I would do everything for free but the others won’t. They want paying and they’ll never get the best out of him because they are frightened to crack the whip incase he sacks them,” John said.

His own position, he maintained, remains uncompromised by financial considerations.

“Me? I’m not getting sacked. I don’t give a s***,” he declared. “Men that don’t want nothing can’t be bought.”