When lineal heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury climbs into a WWE ring for his wrestling debut today, the training he has received from an Egremont grappler will be fresh in his mind.

Johnny Moss has been working every day to teach Fury the ins and outs of wrestling ahead of his match in the company’s Crown Jewel show in Saudi Arabia.

Fury is set to take on Braun Strowman after a feud started between the pair in recent weeks.

And Moss, who ran the School of Hard Knocks and Hammerlocks in Egremont before becoming a WWE coach in 2017, believes his pupil will acquit himself well after taking to wrestling “like a duck to water”.

“It’s a huge honour being tasked to coach a world champion and athlete of this calibre,” he said.

“Tyson is a true one-off; an absolute gentleman whose work ethic is second to none, constantly working and trying to improve.

“Although we have a great team working with Tyson, he hasn’t got long to prepare.

“It can take people months, even years before they are ready for their first match; he’s got until the end of the month.”

Moss said Fury, who has endured gruelling boxing bouts against the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Deontay Wilder and Dereck Chisora to earn a fearsome reputation as one of the world’s best, has commented on how hard the switch has been.

“Everyone thinks the ring is like a trampoline,” Moss said.

“But they get a big shock the first time they hit the mat, and Tyson was no exception.

“His back was black and blue from hitting the ropes.

“However, he’s not letting any of it deter him.

“Tyson’s been a huge WWE fan all his life and this is like a dream come true for him.

“I’ve no doubt he’ll be more than ready for his opponent in Saudi Arabia.

“This is a heavyweight clash if ever there was one.”

Another wrestler coached by Moss, Cain Velasquez, will take on WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.

Moss added: “I coached Cain a little last year – he too is a special athlete.”