By Norm Frauenheim-
Can anyone make sense of the heavyweight mess? Sorry for the stupid question. But boxing’s old flagship is awash in uncertainty and misinformation these days
Three fights are apparently under consideration. Apparently is the key word here, simply because it’s hard to know who or what to believe.
The reported options:
A – Oleksandr Usyk-Anthony Joshua.
B – Usyk-Tyson Fury
C – Fury-Dillian Whyte
Best guess, C. At least, that was the early leader about 24 hours before a re-scheduled purse bid Friday at the World Boxing Council’s offices in Mexico City.
Fury, who has been as loud and unbelievable as ever for the last couple of weeks, appeared on social media early Thursday shouting out a promise that suggests Whyte is next.
“I can’t wait to punch Dillian Whyte’s face right in, mate,” said Fury on video posted to UK promoter Frank Warren’s Twitter account. “I’m going to give him the best hiding he’s ever had in his life, boy. Dillian Whyte, train hard sucker, cause you’re getting annihilated, bum.”
Fury says a lot of things, of course. Let’s just say his punches are more accurate than his talk. But maybe – only maybe – he dropped a reliable hint at what’s up. Warren is his promoter. Early Thursday, there were already reports that Fury-Whyte would happen in March in the UK.
But don’t be surprised if there’s news that Fury has said something different, delivered some sort of late reversal, before or after the scheduled meeting. Nobody throws a more artful feint than Fury.
After all, the purse bid had been postponed twice. Whyte apparently had been unhappy at the reported split – 20 percent for him and 80 for Fury, the WBC’s defending champion. Be 100 percent skeptical.
Even if this purse bid results in an agreement for a so-called mandatory defense, skepticism about when and where is, well, mandatory. In Saudi or Saturn, there might not be enough money to fill the purse that Fury and Whyte hope to divide.
After all, it’s not Fury-Usyk. It’s not Fury-Joshua, a fight that was proposed yet never came off last year despite reports of a $150-million offer from the Saudis. Instead, there was an arbiter’s ruling that resulted in Fury’s dramatic stoppage of Deontay Wilder in the 2021 Fight of the Year last October.
Fury-Whyte simply looms as a prelim, one step and untold sums of money before the main event. Maybe, that’s unfair, at least to Whyte. He’s a solid heavyweight, yet unknown to fans outside of the UK. That might be his best chance against Fury.
For the world’s best-known heavyweight, there might not be as much motivation for Whyte as there would be for better wages against the better-known Usyk or Joshua.
As it is, there already have been reports about negotiations for an immediate fight between Fury and Usyk, who took four of the heavyweight belts in a stunning unanimous decision over Joshua in September.
There are also widespread reports that Joshua turned down so-called step-aside money. He would have withdrawn from his contracted right for an immediate Usyk rematch, making way for Fury-Usyk.
Step-aside, however, might hasten a permanent step-away from a ring career. His confidence looks broken ever since his upset loss by stoppage to Andy Ruiz in 2019. Acceptance of step-aside cash would only be a further sign of a shot fighter. The message: Take the money, and you’re done.
According to The Telegraph, however, the money was more than just a step aside. It was a step into some serious cash. The UK newspaper reported that the offer was for 15-million pounds. That’s 20,082,150 dollars.More, maybe, than Fury-Whyte is worth
