By Norm Frauenheim
Just when it looked as if boxing was facing only questions about shifting politics amid uncertainty over whether familiar faces are moving on as new ones move in, along comes Tyson Fury with an announcement that says one thing isn’t changing.
Fury, or at least his promoter, says he’s coming back.
Isn’t he always?
Fury’s comeback, unabridged and uninterrupted, will continue sometime next year, his promoter Frank Warren told Sky Sports last Wednesday.
It’s long been thought that Fury’s comeback would inevitably lead to Anthony Joshua. Apparently, however, Fury has other ideas, according to Warren, who says he is pursuing the third leg in a trilogy with Oleksandr Usyk.
“The fight he really wants is another bout with Mr. Usyk,’’ Warren said. “Those were wonderful, very close fights that were a pleasure to watch. He keeps talking about it.’’
Trouble is, Usyk isn’t talking about it. Neither are fans. Usyk’s disciplined mastery of tactical skill won the first two fights, both in 2024.
The scorecards from each are a sure indication that Usyk has figured out Fury. In May, Usyk wins by split decision. In a December rematch, the Ukrainian is the unanimous winner, 116-112 on all cards. Everybody knows where this one is headed. Been there. Done that. Why do it again?
Fury probably knows that. He also knows the promotional art better than even Warren. His comeback talk about Usyk is perhaps just an opening salvo in firing up fans for the one UK bout still on their most-wanted list. Fury-Joshua still makes money, although only Saudi Prince and promoter Turki Al-Sheikh can afford to pay the purses for a fight that would belong in London instead of Riyadh.
If it can’t be put together, it’s time for the 38-year-old Fury to get off his career-long comeback trail and make room in the media landscape and public imagination for Moses Itauma.
Itauma, a powerful 20-year-old UK heavyweight, is poised to join light-heavyweight David Benavidez, super-flyweight Jessie “Bam” Rodriguez and newly-minted junior-middleweight Jaron “Boots” Ennis in a looming race to become the face of a game suddenly without one.
From retirement to rematch, it’s not clear what’s next for Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez.
Crawford is 38. Within a couple of weeks after losing to Crawford in front of a reported Netflix audience of more than 42 million, Canelo, 35, announced plans to undergo elbow surgery.
Maybe Crawford and Canelo fight a couple of more times. Maybe, not. Maybe, they fight each other once again. Maybe not. Whatever they do, they’re a lot closer to an exit than Fury Road, a comeback seemingly never near an end
