Photo by Martin Meissner/AP
The madness has set in. The lunatics are running the asylum. Tyson Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) is the WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO and The Ring unified heavyweight world champion. That’s right, the man you’ve seen flipping tables, ranting about the imminent apocalypse, and wearing ill-fitting batman costumes, is the new “baddest man on the planet.”
It’s easy to write Fury off. He plays the clown with such consummate ease, how can this guy be any more than a lumbering fool? But he is much more than that, and he showed the world that when he defeated Wladimir Klitschko (64-4, 53 KOs) on Saturday, November 28 in the Esprit Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Fury demonstrated great strategy, a good fighters brain and physical gifts that were more than a match for his experienced and well-rated foe. It’s been nearly a decade since Klitschko last lost, and Tyson went in there and stifled his opponent, making him hesitant to throw his right hand, and causing him to start making costly mistakes throughout the second half of the fight.
Stuck behind jittery and unpredictable head and hand movement, a solid jab and quick and clever footwork, Fury made Klitschko look every bit the 39 years old that he is. Fury is no circus act, he’s the real deal.
But what’s next for The Gypsy King? The world is his oyster, and he’s got some great options to explore as the new heavyweight world champion.
Wladimir Klitschko
Of course, the obvious next step for both these guys will be the rematch. It was a tetchy affair, and a little sparse on action, so while Tyson Fury was a clear winner, it wasn’t so definitive as to leave us with no question as to who is better. Fury has a victory over the ever-dominant Wladimir Klitschko on his resume, but two? That’s legacy-building stuff.
Tyson’s uncle and trainer, Peter Fury, has already stated an interest in the rematch, and he has said there is more to come.
“Tyson can raise his game. This was his first big test. Now he has come through that test, you will see more of his boxing ability,” said the elder Fury.
“You are seeing a future heavyweight sensation. We are looking forward to the rematch and if we have to come to Germany again, we will.”
Another fight with Klitschko offers Fury an even bigger pay-day, and a chance to solidify his place at the top of the heavyweight pile, and having looked so good last night, he must be salivating at the opportunity to do it again.
Vitali Klitschko
There has been some talk of a Vitali Klitschko (45-2, 42 KOs) comeback, if his brother failed to beat Tyson Fury, and now this has come to fruition, is the older brother out to avenge the loss? It seems unlikely.
Much of the talk has been idle internet speculation, but there’s certainly a little romance behind the idea. We’d all love to see big bro come out of retirement and have his siblings back, and we’d certainly enjoy the spectacle. But when pushed for the idea by Lennox Lewis last night, Vitali shot him down in witty fashion.
Lennox asks Vitali if he wants to come out of retirement and avenge Wlad’s defeat. Vitali: “If you come back, I come back also.”
— David Greisman (@fightingwords2) November 28, 2015
To my mind, this has now become the most intriguing fight that can be made at heavyweight. The two young guns at the top of the division, each holding a share of the top spot (Tyson Fury holding the much larger share, holding all the titles and having beaten the man).
This could be a great fight, with Fury a smart and very capable fighter that has been downed before, and Deontay Wilder (35-0, 34 KOs) with immense power that lacks some fundamentals. Their strengths and weaknesses both appear to mesh quite nicely, and as two big and brash personalities, they’ll be sure to generate hype for this fight.
Maybe this is the fight to reignite American interest in the heavyweight division, and it certainly seems like Wilder is up for it.
I see you @Tyson_Fury…. #ImComingForYou
— Deontay Wilder (@BronzeBomber) November 28, 2015
My money’s on Fury, as he’s proven himself at a higher level, and is the more experienced fighter of the two. But there are plenty of questions and plenty of intrigue for this fight.
One of these guys could step up to be the next dominant champion in the division, and I’d fancy it to have a little more action than Fury vs Klitschko.
David Haye
So maybe one day Tyson Fury and David Haye (26-2, 24 KOs) will finally get a chance to smash each other in the face? They’ve been signed to fight twice before, but a cut and then a shoulder surgery that “retired” Haye saw the fights cancelled.
This caused Fury a lot of time, effort and money, and there’s plenty of animosity between these two. But both have at some point said they don’t want to give the other a major pay day, so there remains doubt as to whether they’d be interested in fighting each other. But would either really turn down big money to get a chance at leveling a guy they so dislike? I doubt it.
This fight all depends on Haye’s scheduled return against Mark de Mori on January 16, 2016 at the O2 Arena. Is the shoulder injury going to hold him back? Does Haye still have it? And does he still want it? All of these questions need to be answered before we really know how a Fury vs. Haye fight would go. If Haye is able to reproduce old form, I’d fancy him to get to Haye and hurt him.
When Fury was knocked down by Steve Cunningham, it was a looping overhand right that came in over the top of Fury’s guard. This is something Haye could certainly recreate, and with his combination of speed and power, he could close the show too. But if Haye is past it, he’d be in for a long, long night with Fury.
There are plenty of options on the oversized dinner plate of the new heavyweight world champ, and he’s now got plenty of leverage for any and all fights that could be made. He may be the court jester out of the ring, but he’s continuing to prove himself as a top fighter in the ring.
Who would you like to see Tyson Fury face next?
