Tyson Fury: Anthony Joshua and I have inspired British heavyweights to become world champions
Tyson Fury believes both he and British rival Anthony Joshua have changed the heavyweight landscape for Britain’s rising prospects; Fury stills eyes a future stadium fight at Old Trafford: “Never say never”; plus Scott Welch considers the pros and cons of Fury vs Ngannou
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua agree on little.
They certainly don’t seem to be about to reach an agreement on fighting each other any time soon. But Fury believes they have both forged a path that other British heavyweights can follow.
“I think we’ve given them a lot to aim for, with me and AJ,” Fury told Sky Sports.
“We’ve given them a lot of hope that it can be done. Because before I became world champion, Britain had only had maybe six or five world [heavyweight] champions throughout the history of boxing.
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“All of a sudden we had a few more of late,” he continued. “A lot of highly ranked world heavyweights. I think we’ve inspired a lot of people and hopefully they can go on and continue to do well in the division.”
But while he acknowledges how capable some of the UK’s rising heavyweights are, he doesn’t see any of them rivalling him or Joshua just yet.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talent. Young David Adeleye, Solomon Dacres, Johnny Fisher, Frazer Clarke, Nathan Gorman, Daniel Dubois,” Fury said. “There’s a lot of red hot talent coming through in this country especially.
“I think there’s a lot of good fights at British level at the moment,” he continued.
“I don’t think they’re anywhere near world level at the moment. They’re only young people so they should be contesting for English titles, maybe the British title. So I’m not sure how far they can go, but they definitely look like good prospects.”
While he is not optimistic that an all-British heavyweight clash with Anthony Joshua can be made, Fury still expects to have major contests in the UK, eyeing Old Trafford as a potential venue for a stadium fight.
“I was supposed to fight at Old Trafford last year,” he noted.
“Never say never.”
Fury vs Ngannou: Good for the game?
Tyson Fury will meet former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou next in a boxing contest in October.
The decision to pit the current WBC titlist against a debutant in the ring has raised eyebrows and ignited debates within the boxing community.
Speaking on the Toe2Toe podcast former British heavyweight champion Scott Welch took a balanced view. He highlighted Fury’s achievements.
“He went over to America [to box Deontay Wilder] not once, but three times. He went over to Germany [to beat Wladimir Klitschko and become a unified world champion]. He’s done more than any other one even would have dared to. He’s a super champ in my eyes,” Welch stated.
Fury’s international engagements and his remarkable battles with Wilder and Klitschko have undeniably earned him a high standing within the sport.
Welch delved into the concerns over the choice of opponent, although he underscored the rationale behind Fury’s decision.
“[The Derek] Chisora fight, that was his one that he deserved after the big fight, the [Dillian] Whyte fight. After that, he deserved an easy fight,” Welch said.
“Maybe he should have announced that he’s going to do a tour and go around and fight a few people and he’s going to come back when he’s ready. Because I think mentally, he needs a break as well.”
He also noted the broader context of this fight, drawing parallels with other notable instances in the combat sports.
“[Muhammad] Ali did a similar thing [with Antonio Inoki]. There’s just too much talk. There’s been too much talk along the road and maybe it should have just been done a bit differently,” he said.
As for the impact on the boxing landscape, Welch was pragmatic. “Is it good for the game? Not really,” he said.
“As long as he comes back afterwards and quite quickly, then you’re great.”
Fury should return to the ring against more traditional opponents after this and demand to see him against unified WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk remains.
“So, if we’re going to get this fight done, get it done, get it out of the way, we’re fine with it. We can handle it, take it, get the fight done, get back in the mix afterwards if you’re going to do that,” Welch stated
“Or say, I’m done.”
