What has history taught us about trying to cross off a boxer down on their luck?
It didn’t take long for Tyson Fury to call out Anthony Joshua after he recently lost in Saudi Arabia. In fact, it was just over two weeks from the time the judges came to the opinion of a split decision that consigned Joshua to back-to-back defeats, that Fury sent out a public message, challenging Joshua to 12 rounds of heavyweight boxing.
As we now know, Joshua accepted shortly thereafter and the pair are now set to do battle in Cardiff in early December. As things stand, it won’t come as a surprise to learn that the latest sports betting odds price Fury as the favorite at odds of just 3/10.
The most recent sports predictions for the upcoming bout also heavily tip Fury to win the fight in the Welsh capital. With this in mind, it wouldn't be unfair to say that the world is expecting nothing other than a Fury win but it’s worth considering what history has taught us about boxers trying to cross off an opponent on their list who find themself down on their luck.
Be careful what you wish for
If anything, this is a cautionary tale that Fury should know all too well after being the boxer down on his luck, before being called out to fight at the end of 2018. At that stage, Fury had had a few tune-up fights following a couple of years of inactivity out of the ring, but was urged by those closest to him not to fight an opponent of a high pedigree until he was ready.
THE BOYS ON TOUR!!!
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) September 8, 2022
The strong-willed Fury naturally took very little heed of this advice and instead shocked the watching world following an extraordinary show of courage and skill. Indeed, Fury avoided defeat by earning a draw and then beat the same opponent in consecutive fights over the next two years.
In short, Fury’s skill and stomach to go into the trenches to do battle were grossly underestimated by those looking to cross him off cheaply owing to his well-documented problems outside the ring which should have, in theory, made him an easy opponent. The reality couldn’t have been further from the truth and if we fast forward to the present day, the Englishman remains undefeated following an empathic win against Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April.
So, again, it’s worth asking, is Fury making a mistake by calling Joshua out? At least, could he be underestimating the threat from the former world heavyweight champion?
Simply Living ????
— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) September 18, 2022
Essentially, if Fury sees this as his chance to finally beat Joshua before moving on to bigger and better things then the boxing world should brace itself for an incredible upset. Indeed, the second Fury starts looking past the next jab he should be throwing that is designed to wear Joshua down, and begins to focus rather on the bright lights of his next fight, trouble will come knocking but only this time, in the shape of Joshua’s famed uppercut.
Make no mistake, this is a dangerous fight for Fury, who needs to remember the jarring lessons of the past in order to avoid slipping up.