Frank Warren has praised Tyson Fury for agreeing terms with Oleksandr Usyk and showing that he’s the only current heavyweight that is willing to fight the best.
The two heavyweight champions recently verbally confirmed that they would stage an undisputed fight with a purse split of 70/30 in Fury’s favour.
The Brit’s promoter then confirmed to TalkSPORT that things were looking good for April 29 at Wembley Stadium. Warren followed the news that contracts were being prepared by urging fans to praise his fighter.
“Everybody should take their hat off to Tyson Fury because he’s the only heavyweight since going back to those great glory days of Ali, Foreman and Frazier that has fought the best around of the generations he’s been in.”
“He’s fought against Klitschko, who was the best of his generation, went to his back yard and beat him. The longest reigning heavyweight in Deontay Wilder – went to the states not once but three times and beat him.
“Now he’s stepping up to the guy who has had two wins over Joshua and has three belts.”
He went on to compare these victories to that of Lennox Lewis, the last man to be undisputed in the heavyweight division and widely considered as one of the best ever.
“You have to take your hat off to Tyson, we talk about Lennox Lewis, but he never fought Riddick Bowe, never fought Mike Tyson until he was well past his best.
I’m not taking anything away from Lennox he was a great fighter. Tyson has fought all these guys at their best.”
Lewis and Riddick Bowe were linked to fight on more than one occasion, the first falling through due to a reported dislike between teams and the second hampered by Lewis’ shock second round stoppage loss at the hands of Oliver McCall – a defeat which he would go onto avenge five fights later.
He faced Mike Tyson in 2002, knocking him out in the eighth round. At the time, it was the highest-grossing pay-per-view in history, although Tyson was undoubtedly well past his best and fought just three more time (two losses, one win) before hanging up the gloves.
Warren then claimed that Fury-Usyk was the biggest heavyweight fight in ‘goodness knows how many years’, which, unlike the points above, isn’t up for debate.