---
title: "Is Tyson Fury The Best Thing to Happen to Boxing in a Long Time?"
canonical: "https://boxing-social.com/betting/is-tyson-fury-the-best-thing-to-happen-to-boxing-in-a-long-time/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Boxing Social Admin"
section: "Betting"
published: "2024-02-22T14:54:52Z"
modified: "2024-09-28T14:55:48Z"
---

# Is Tyson Fury The Best Thing to Happen to Boxing in a Long Time?

News that the Ring of Fire showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk scheduled for\
February was to be postponed was greeted with understandable disappointment by the boxing\
world. Now we will have to wait a little longer to celebrate the first undisputed heavyweight\
champion in the four-belt era.

Fury suffered a cut in training and the fight has now been postponed until May. In one way, the\
extended wait for the bout will only build up the excitement, as Fury’s fans get ready to cheer\
him on to victory. Usyk will be a fearsome opponent, of course, but it is Fury who enjoys the\
global media presence that few fighters – especially non-American fighters – have had for\
decades.

The boxing betting markets for the Fury-Usyk bout will now have a little more time to tempt fight\
fans. But we can take this time to consider just how big an impact Tyson Fury has had on the\
sport. He is a larger-than-life personality who has done wonders for the fight game since he first

entered the ring. With all his baggage, is it possible to argue that Fury is actually the best thing\
that has happened to boxing in a very long time?\
Worldwide Appeal

There was a time when boxers – especially heavyweight fighters – were known across the\
world. There were fewer belts available back in the day, of course. But everyone knew who the\
heavyweight champion of the world was and, thanks in part to the great Muhammad Ali, they\
had the talk too.

After Ali we expected our champions to be as electrifying outside of the ring as they were inside.\
That wasn’t always the case but even fighters who didn’t possess the charisma of Ali (and let’s\
face it, who did), could put on a show. Just think back to how fearsome Mike Tyson was. And\
even former British champions like Bruno and Lewis were loved by the public.\
It seemed as though that kind of personality had disappeared from boxing. Maybe the rise of\
MMA and UFC made boxers feel as if they had to push the brutal side of their personality to get\
attention. But until Fury made his comeback, it was sometimes difficult to get behind fighters for\
who they were, as well as for their talent in the ring.

Career Turnaround

Tyson Fury is almost universally loved by boxing fans these days. But he didn’t always enjoy the\
same level of devoted support from the British media. Beating Wladimir Klitschko back in 2015\
should have been the beginning of Fury’s ascent in the eyes of the public. But it began one of\
the darkest periods of his life.

Some of his past comments came back to haunt him, as Fury was attacked for his opinions on\
homosexuality and for his religious beliefs. Fury has admitted that he has entertained suicidal\
thoughts and completely let himself go after relinquishing his belts. But his performances in the\
ring – and in front of the world’s media – have turned him into a much-loved figure. A recent\
reality TV show featuring his family has only cemented that position.

Becoming Undisputed Would Be a Start

Tyson Fury has certainly been able to win over the British general public and fight fans around\
the world. But for him to be considered one of the best things to happen to the sport in recent\
times as well he probably has to back up his talk by beating Usyk and claiming all four versions\
of the heavyweight title.

There is one thing being a much-loved figure in sports. But to be able to claim to have changed\
the sport for the better there has to be sporting achievement as well. That’s not to say that\
winning just one belt is not an achievement. But becoming the undisputed heavyweight

champion of the world is something that will make a bigger splash in the history books of\
boxing.

Figure 2 To become a true great, Fury needs to win a few more belts\
The Greatest?

Everything about Tyson Fury is larger than life. Standing at 6ft 9, he towers over the majority of\
his opponents and his self-belief is almost as all-powerful. For a very big target, Fury is also\
incredibly quick on his feet. He is able to escape danger before he gets caught and his head\
movement is also impressive.

But he has shown time and time again that he is also able to take a punch. Whereas Anthony\
Joshua has now gained an unfortunate reputation for not being able to mix it quite as much,\
fans can still back Fury to get out of situations that look far from won. Although being floored by\
opponents is not advisable for any boxer looking to win championships, [Fury has always been](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/oct/29/tyson-fury-floored-by-francis-ngannou-but-wins-by-controversial-split-decision#:~:text=Tyson%20Fury%20floored%20by%20Francis%20Ngannou%20but%20wins%20controversial%20split%20decision,-This%20article%20is&text=A%20battered%20and%20relieved%20Tyson,his%20boxing%20debut%2C%20in%20Riyadh.)\
able to get back up again and fight just as strongly.

Even Tyson Fury’s biggest fans would shy away from proclaiming him to be the greatest though.\
As we said earlier, he needs to add a few more belts to his collection before he can even\
become part of that conversation. But he is undoubtedly one of the very best heavyweights in\
the world today. More importantly than that, he is one of the most well-known, well-liked, and\
globally recognized boxers around.

His conversion from the bad boy of boxing to a lovable TV personality has also helped Fury\
become a household name and bring boxing back to the forefront for the general public. In that\
way, he is definitely one of the best things to happen to the sport in a long time. Let’s just hope\
that he can win all the titles to go along with that newfound position.