Zhilei Zhang and Andy Ruiz Jr out of proposed Tyson Fury summer fight
Tyson Fury was in talks with both Chinese heavyweight Zhilei Zhang and Mexican-American Andy Ruiz Jr for a potential summer showdown in the UK, but both bouts have been aborted.
Tyson's promotional stablemate Joe Joyce has exercised his rematch clause with his one and only conqueror Zhang, and Frank Warren told Boxing News that Ruiz has priced himself out of the fight.
It leaves the Hall of Fame promoter left with no choice but to go back to the drawing board.
He said: “I want to get him [Fury] out whatever happens and get back in the swing of things. It’s just a bloody shame we wasted so much time [on the Usyk fight].
“The problem we’ve got is the ones we wanted are all fighting.
“The Zhang fight, Joe Joyce, I wouldn’t have gone with Joe next, he’ll have to get a win first and obviously Daniel [Dubois].
“We’ll have a look around and see what’s available.”
BBN Editor, Tim Rickson, shared his views, “It’s really disappointing news about Andy Ruiz Jr. I was a fan of his before the Anthony Joshua fight, but he’s making it increasingly difficult to respect him. Frank Warren is not one to give up easily, so maybe there’s a slim chance that fight can still be made.
“If not, I think there’s a whole host of other options available. Anyone in that WBC top 15 could be suitable, barring the biggest names such as Wilder and Joshua, of course. There’s Martin Bakole, who has been calling out everyone for as long as I can remember, so surely he would take that fight in a heartbeat. Luis Ortiz is over the hill but he’s still a big name and a real threat that could step in as a reserve and not cause too much criticism, but boxing fans are so fickle that may not be accurate. I wouldn’t mind him as last-minute replacement, it’s better than no fight at all.
“Names like Efe Ajagba, Jared Anderson, Filip Hrgovic have all been linked to Fury before and the fact they are all in the WBC top 15 makes them credible opponents that no fan can deny.
“A potential Dillian Whyte rematch would be huge once again, he felt cheated in the first fight so he will want another go. Personally, I wouldn’t want to see it. If we’re talking rematches, then give one to Otto Wallin, the only man other than Wilder to almost beat him. The cut he caused in their first fight, some refs may have stopped it and legitimately handed Fury his first defeat, but he was lucky enough to be allowed to continue despite it requiring over 40 stitches and an operation later. It remains the Swede’s only loss and he has won five times in a row since, with a couple of decent scalps too.
“Behind Wilder, Ruiz and Joshua in the WBC rankings is No.4 Frank Sanchez. Unbeaten pro with an incredible amateur pedigree, perhaps a bit early for him to take on the likes of Fury, but as the highest placed available WBC contender, this could be biggest fight there is that could be made.
“Failing that, find a recent rival’s opponent, such as Jermaine Franklin or Robert Helenius to draw comparisons, but that would be a little disappointing, in my view.”
Top 10 Potential Opponents
Dillian Whyte
Frank Sanchez
Martin Bakole
Filip Hrgovic
Jermaine Franklin
Jarrell Miller
Robert Helenius
Carlos Takam
Manuel Charr
Kubrat Pulev
WBC Top 15
1. Deontay Wilder
2. Andy Ruiz Jr
3. Anthony Joshua
4. Frank Sanchez
5. Arslanbek Makhmudov
6. Dillian Whyte
7. Martin Bakole
8. Zhan Kossobutskiy
9. Otto Wallin
10. Joseph Parker
11. Jared Anderson
12. Agit Kabayel
13. Luis Ortiz
14. Efe Ajagba
15. Filip Hrgovic
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