Will it be an Eventless Summer for Tyson Fury?
It wasn’t long ago that we seemed destined to watch the first heavyweight title fight of the four-belt era, but of course, that all crumbled away this spring. Tyson Fury versus Oleksandr Usyk could have presented one of the most skillful clashes at the top weight division in decades, but now both are without confirmed opponents.
Usyk looks bound to adhere to the mandatory challenge rule of the WBA and battle with Daniel Dubois. Fury, however, continues to see assumed fallback opponents set dates elsewhere or price themselves out of a deal. That said, the towering Brit has plenty of options beyond the boxing ring, given his celebrity status.
Potential to fit in a summer bout
Assuming that he’s kept himself relatively fit since his December demolition job of Derek Chisora, one could assume a six-to-eight-week window is needed to prepare Fury’s next opponent. However, few other heavyweights are of the same calibre of Usyk.
While a summer fight still seems feasible, it wouldn’t look to be much more than a tune-up or, perhaps, a convenient way of getting mandatory obligations out of the way. Once the 29th April date with the Ukrainian unified world champion evaporated, many started to look to Joe Joyce or Andy Ruiz Jr.
Joyce then lost to Zhilei Zhang and has activated the rematch clause, while the Mexican former world unified champ has apparently priced himself out of the match with Fury. Still, there are plenty of other high-ranking names vying for a shot at the WBC.
With Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder seemingly off the table for the title fight, Fury could extend the offer to one of many up-and-comers in the division. In the UK, Martin Bakole would be the fans’ choice. The Scotland-based cult favourite never fails to get the crowd going, and says he’s ready to battle for some belts.
Alternatively, Cuba’s Frank Sánchez has been making all of the right moves to climb the WBA rankings and be in the conversation. Fighting out of Miami, the 22-0, 6’4’’ heavy hitter would likely need a couple of months, having fought on 8 April, but even in top condition, it seems unlikely that he’d be able to pose a major threat to Fury.
Extracurricular activities for Fury in the meantime
Tyson Fury’s draw in the ring comes from a great deal of work done out of it, with him certainly reaching celebrity status in the UK and perhaps even in the US. It’s because of this that it was such a coup for Undisputed to scan him into their game and release it into Early Access with Fury attached.
He’s also featured in the UFC game series before, but if he wants to truly capitalise on his fame, Fury could seek to get his own official game in the works. This is common practice for celebrities and major franchises in the slots on mobile space, as shown by the Maradona game, Rick and Morty trilogy, and Ted.
Other than gaming, Fury would also appear to have options with one of the largest sports entertainment companies in the world. The Manchester-born pugilist took his 6’9’’ frame to the WWE not long ago, has openly goaded Drew McIntyre on social media, and has mentioned Clash at the Castle 2.
At the O2 Arena on 1st July this year, the WWE will return with its Money in the Bank event. It’s not yet clear which wrestlers will be in attendance, but as it’s in the UK, McIntyre would be a natural choice. If the WWE brings him to London, there’s a good chance that Fury will meet him there and, perhaps, kick off another stint with the company.
Tyson Fury likely won’t box one of the leading names in the division this summer, but he’s got plenty of options to keep busy in the ring or to enjoy his celebrity status elsewhere.