There could be a crisis in the heavyweight division if the broadcasters, the promoters, the chancellors, the tyrants in the sanctioning bodies, the fixers and the fighters don’t realize that they are part of a rich history.
The heavyweight division is not a random board game, a place where a good spin can turn the world upside down and a place where all sense of perspective is lost. It’s not a game, but it’s played like a crazy game of chance.
Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are circling each other with no real signs that they will fight each other. In many ways, the crisis point was a very, very long time ago.
About six months ago there was a bold claim that Saudi Arabia’s wealth would transform the heavyweight division, a claim that over $400 million was on the table for the four leading men to meet in two fights on the same night. Many so-called media were delivered to Riyadh and told that the powerful Four Kings would fight in December and the heavyweight fairytale would be complete.
The chosen insiders were quick to reassure everyone that the money was real, the belief was real, and that it was going to happen. It fell apart; Fury walked away, Usyk stayed busy, Wilder and Joshua are theoretically still part of a crazy plan. But even their fight in Saudi Arabia in January or February looks more and more like a mirage in this battle desert.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, has not yet ruled out the fight. Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk has not yet ruled out a Fury fight. Wilder’s people flew to Saudi Arabia to make a direct deal with the advertising company there, so they’re probably still part of the circus. Fury, meanwhile, will fight in Riyadh next month, but his fight with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou is being promoted by another branch of the Saudi government. It’s difficult to keep up with this bloody soap opera.
Fury and former UFC champion Francis Ngannou will fight in October (James Manning/PA Wire)
By the way, Ngannou never fought a single boxing match as an amateur or professional; His 10 rounds with Fury were recently awarded a belt by the WBC. It won’t be for Fury’s actual WBC heavyweight title, which I think is a small mercy. The new Saudi belt, complete with diamonds and gold, is still a belt and that means Ngannou, who is trained by Mike Tyson, will fight for a WBC belt in his first appearance in a boxing ring. Shame on the WBC and their desperate attempt to be relevant. I have no problem with the fight, no problem with crossover events, but the WBC’s decision to award a belt to the winner is pathetic. The WBC representative in Riyadh needs sharp elbows to show his face on television because Saudi families tend to flood the ring after the fight.
By the way, Ngannou is considered the hardest hitter in history. It’s hard to invent this wonderful nonsense. Fury went this route because the money is there, and he’s tired of the relentless negotiations for a fight with Usyk or Joshua. He is, it must be said, not entirely innocent. While it’s hard to blame Fury for Ngannou’s path, talk of a rematch under mixed martial arts rules is a bit concerning. It’s probably harmless chatter, but the WBC must decide how long it will let its champion loose in the lawless playground of celebrity and crossover fights. There is simply no order, no strict rules and no one is able to stop the anarchy.
Daniel Dubois appeals his defeat to Usyk, claiming the ‘low blow’ was actually a body shot (REUTERS)
In the last 12 months Joshua has fought twice, staying busy and learning with his new trainer; Fury hasn’t fought since his third win over Derek Chisora last December in defense of his WBC title; Wilder hasn’t been near a ring this year; Usyk stopped Daniel Dubois last month to retain his WBO, WBA and IBF titles. By the way, Dubois officially appealed the decision in that fight, claiming that the fight should have been stopped in round 5 when he landed what he considered a legitimate body shot. Instead, Usyk had almost four minutes to recover. Krassyuk has ruled out a rematch, insisting the punch was low and illegal.
This means there will only be one fight for the world heavyweight title in 2023, with two champions holding four recognized belts, with plenty of television support and many high-profile contenders. It’s crazy and self-defeating, and no other sport would survive such idiocy. Boxing has always been a race against time, a race to get as much money as possible as quickly and safely as possible, but this decaying state is so bad for business that it will hurt business in the future.
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