If the two British heavyweights reach an agreement, the Ukrainian’s dream of an absolute championship in the Royal Division may turn into a pipe
WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has once again blew up the media space. After ostentatious, but it seems, frivolous attempts on his part to agree on a duel with the holder of the WBO/WBA/IBF/IBO titles Alexander Usyk, the Gypsy King announced his desire to fight Anthony Joshua. Moreover, two at once – with the option of revenge, in case of defeat.
READ MORE: WBC Cannot Schedule Fury-Joshua Fight
Yes, negotiations in connection with mourning due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain are suspended. Yes, the Gypsy King wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t start to break the comedy by putting forward different conditions: Joshua agreed to fight in mid-December, which is what Fury wanted, but the latter announced his desire to fight in November or the beginning of the first month of winter. But, for some reason, it seems that the teams of British boxers will agree. The Sport Arena tried to figure out why the Fury-Joshua fight is very real, and why this development is a very bad option for Usyk.
What Fury did not grow together with the organization of the battle with Usyk
Nothing but character. Fury declared his readiness to enter the ring against the Ukrainian in order to “teach the middleweight a lesson.” At the same time, the Gypsy King demanded that the fight take place in December. It is clear that Usyk’s team could not accept such deadlines. The Ukrainian only fought Joshua in mid-August and he simply needs time to recover and prepare for an ABSOLUTELY different stylistically and physically opponent.
For the second, you need to develop a training plan, find and negotiate with suitable sparring partners. This is not to mention recovery, which usually takes at least a month if there are no injuries, and Usyk has injuries. It turns out that Usyk could start full-fledged preparations at best in mid-October, or even in early November. That in the first case – six weeks, and even more so in the second (four) – there is clearly not enough time for quality preparation. Fury did not want to agree on other dates.
Why fighting Joshua is a good option for Fury
In principle, this question was answered by the Gypsy King himself in a long interview. “Joshua lost twice in a row, but I see value in him. Despite the fact that he lost to Usyk, I still think that in England my boss with AJ will be more significant than my fight with Usyk, ”says Fury. And indeed it is. In Britain, the fight will cause incredible interest. And given Fury’s ability and skill to put on a show, the fight will have the attention of the entire world.
And if so, then the Gypsy King will definitely receive a record fee in his career. Plus, it is likely that Joshua will earn more than for the fight with Usyk.
If we talk about the sports component, then stylistically Joshua is perfect for the game player and Fury, who has great boxing intelligence. Usyk outplayed Anthony twice in a row, showing how you can take AJ apart. Fury is a bigger version of Usyk. In addition, Tyson has fought in the heavyweights all his life, and he can’t hold strength with power for this division. So it turns out that for the Gypsy King, the fight with Joshua is an easy way to get a good check, get back in the spotlight and get even more reason to claim that he is the best British heavyweight in history.
Why Fighting Fury Is Beneficial For Joshua
Anthony has no losing options in such scenarios. After two losses to Usyk, it would definitely be difficult for him to get a title shot. Moreover, in question is getting a landmark fight that would arouse great interest in England or the world. Now he is given the opportunity to fight for the title again. Moreover, with one of the two strongest fighters of the division.
At the same time, in terms of sports, Joshua does not risk anything: he is an underdog, he will not be considered a favorite, and in case of defeat, no one will condemn him. But in case of victory, he will again fly to the top and be able to aim for a trilogy with Usyk.
Let’s not forget that Joshua is under contract with DAZN, which should provide him with five fights with tens of millions of dollars in fees for each. After the defeat in the rematch with Usyk, it would be problematic for the streaming platform to do this. Fury is a godsend for DAZN and I think he will do everything he can to make the fight happen.
Why the Fury-Joshua fight is a bad option for Usyk
Let’s leave out the most obvious conclusion: Alexander is moving away from his most coveted fight. The fight with Fury is the most desired for Usyk. First of all, in terms of sports, because it gives you the opportunity to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Secondly, in financial terms, a fight with no heavyweight will bring the Ukrainian as much money as a potential fight with Fury.
But it’s still more problematic. The three belts owned by a Ukrainian impose on him certain obligations to protect them (IBO in this regard is the most accommodating organization, easily agreeing to both associations and the transfer of mandatory protection). Since each of the three organizations has its own ratings, Usyk runs the risk of being in a situation in which Wladimir Klitschko was. Namely, forced to carry out mandatory defenses of each of the titles, simultaneously putting all their belts on the line.
In other words, the WBO, WBA and IBF will force Usyk, by virtue of their rules, to fight mandatory contenders, providing after each fight the right to a subsequent then, of course, in case of victory, a voluntary defense. And the longer Fury will break a comedy in his style, not accepting/postponing the unification fight with Usyk, the less Alexander’s chances of becoming the absolute world champion will be.
By the way, it is not a fact that Fury and Joshua will only have one fight. It’s not a fact that when Fury decides to retire and leave the WBC belt vacant, that the newly minted world champion will immediately go to unify the titles. It is not a fact that Usyk, who is already 35 years old, will want to wait for such a development of events.
What should Usyk do?
In fact, everything is banal – to wait. Wait for Fury and Joshua’s negotiations to end. Wait to see what the WBO, WBA and IBF will decide on his mandatory defenses. Wait for the victory of Ukraine in the war with Russia, while continuing to help the army and the country.
Usyk is a top fighter, one of the best, if not the best in the world. He will have no shortage of opponents. The only question is how interesting it will be for Alexander himself, primarily in terms of sports, to hold these fights. And we will talk about the potentially most interesting opponents for the Ukrainian in the next article.
Source: Sportarena
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
