Tyson Fury claimed he couldn’t get a fight as heavyweight champion before moving on to facing a MMA superstar.
Fury dumbfoundingly left the glamor division behind despite being the coveted reigning WBC champion of the world.
“The Gypsy King” insists he’s been ‘trying to get a fight’ since December after pounding his friend for several rounds in Derek Chisora at Tottenham Stadium in London.
In a shocking turn of events, Fury is moving away from facing any top contenders in favor of what amounts to a meaningless exhibition [despite the status].
Fury will box Francis Ngannou over boxing rules in a fight that won’t involve any danger to the boxer from grappling.
The stipulations ensure that Fury has the chips stacked in his favor. But that’s not the bone of contention for many.
WBC heavyweight champion
The fact that the heavyweight champion cannot find an opponent despite several callouts and complaints over negotiations is unprecedented.
“The WBC Heavyweight king can’t wait till my next fight. I’ve been training daily since Christmas trying to get a fight,” said Fury.
“I tried many fighters and have had no luck, but that won’t keep me down. I’m blessed every day I wake up!
“I can’t wait for you all to see what I’ve got coming for you guys. It’s show-stopping.”
That admission from Fury hasn’t occurred in the sport’s history from the lips of a number one heavyweight.
A ruling top division titleholder unable to secure the top fifteen contenders from the rankings list is astonishing enough without the Oleksandr Usyk situation added.
Usyk claims Fury was unreasonable in discussions. The Ukrainian’s team says Fury sought an excuse to walk away. However, Fury still had ten other boxers to choose from.
The WBC list sees Deontay Wilder and rival Andy Ruiz Jr. at one and two. They have been ordered to fight a mandatory eliminator.
But Fury could take anyone from number three to fifteen, barring a trio of exceptions. Those viable include Anthony Joshua, Frank Sanchez, Arslanbek Makhmudov, Martin Bakole, Zhan Kossobutskiy, Jared Anderson, old foe Otto Wallin, Agit Kabayel, Luis Ortiz, and Efe Ajagba.
The three off the menu were Dillian Whyte, who Fury has pulverized before. Then Joe Joyce, who is tied up with a Zhilei Zhang rematch, and Joseph Parker, his friend he won’t ever fight.
Fury vs Ngannou
Fury being unable to agree a deal with ten potential challengers seems highly unlikely. Therefore, it must be Fury’s preference to pursue the Ngannou battle.
The question was – ‘What will the WBC do?’ – the answer? Absolutely nothing. They have a history of sticking with their champions no matter what, or at least until it’s irrelevant to another fighter.
Fury has no mandatory due to Wilder and Ruiz failing to get a deal done. Had they fought by now and been waiting on Fury, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman would undoubtedly have made a ruling.
Luckily for Fury, his sighs about nobody wanting to take his advances will give him at least one opportunity to divert from the norm.
The Ngannou event will have plenty of eyeballs. But what it does for the good of heavyweight boxing is not even up for debate.
