It seems that one of the top promoters in the game is having as hard a time as many fans when trying to pick our next undisputed heavyweight champion.
It’s widely expected that we’ll see Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk face off in early 2023 to unify all heavyweight world titles. Whilst there are a few things that could upset those plans, it’s safe to say that it seems fans are closer than they have been in a long time to seeing one face, one name at the top of the division.
“I don’t think Fury’s going to be chomping at the bit to fight Usyk. I think he could beat him, but I would favour Oleksandr Usyk in that fight. Just because I think he’s so good. Fury’s good as well, but Usyk is just… They’re both very, very intelligent boxers.”
However this week, when catching up with Intu Boxing, the promoter revealed that he’s now leaning the other way. Either way, he’s still convinced that it’s not a fight that will appeal to a casual audience.
“I got criticism on that because I said I don’t think it’s a great fight … but I think it’s a compelling fight. You’ve got two very awkward, tricky customers. For a hardcore boxing fan I think it would be fascinating, but they wouldn’t just start knocking lumps out of each other.”
“I probably give the edge to Tyson Fury because of his size. I just feel like I’ve always overlooked him in fights, like [Wladimir] Klitschko, [Deontay] Wilder, so I should give him the respect that he deserves. But I do think Usyk is very tough to beat.”
So the Matchroom man is now tentatively picking Fury for the win. In terms of mapping out the division, it would certainly be an outcome that was more intriguing to his involvement. His heavyweight charge, Anthony Joshua, has been beaten twice by Oleksandr Usyk, but a fight with Tyson Fury has remained elusive despite two rounds of negotiations this year.
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