As Tyson Fury sporadically adds building blocks to his own legacy in the sport, Boxing Social looks at who the two-time heavyweight champion may be looking up to.
Whilst Fury’s next outing against Derek Chisora isn’t exactly career-defining, it may just set up a fight that is. It’s believed that, should he be victorious, he’ll be heading almost straight in to training camp for an undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
If he wins that, he’ll still be undefeated and have all of the belts going – no mean feat for a man whose life and career was on the ropes around five years ago. Should his name be etched in the history books, who will it be alongside?
The man from Morecambe listed his top 5 big men in an interview with IFL TV in 2020. There’s a lot to choose from, and Fury left out some notable names – including the man he’s named after, Mike Tyson.
Muhammad Ali
Is it really a top heavyweight list without Ali? The man formerly known as Cassius Clay was as fast with his words as he was with his punches, and with 56 wins including some of the most famous bouts in history, he lived up to his ring moniker of ‘The Greatest’ not just in boxing but sport in general.
Larry Holmes
Heavyweights from yesteryear are said to have had nightmares about the left hand jab of Larry Holmes. ‘The Easton Assassin’ reigned supreme in the division for seven years, and is the only man to have defeated Ali by stoppage. A claim to fame, indeed.
Lennox Lewis
‘The Lion’ is the only British fighter on the list, and is widely regarded as one of the best to do it. His undisputed stint in the heavyweight division is something Fury is now looking to emulate, however Lewis’ Olympic Gold Medal (for Canada) and his 41 wins from 44 fights will still take some beating in terms of legacy.
Joe Louis
Louis first stepped through the ropes of a professional ring in 1934. A true trailblazer, ‘The Brown Bomber’ was champion for the longest time in any weight class, and – despite being misunderstood by many – is considered one of the most influential athletes of all time.
His rematch victory over German Max Schmeling in the throes of World War 2 was an event that transcended the sport and united a nation.
Rocky Marciano
Another feat Fury is aiming for is to retire undefeated. If he manages it, he will climb onto a pedestal that only Marciano sits. The relentless Marciano boasted a knockout-to-win ration of almost 90%, and proved 49 times over that no man could best him.
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