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THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE IN BOXING'S HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION

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Tyson Fury has put on an assured performance in and out of the ring

The boxing heavyweight world champion is seen by many people as the ultimate sportsman. Over the years it has given us some of the most iconic fights, dramatic stories and greatest stars in sport. Then things went relatively quiet. The Klitschko’s tied up the division for the best part of a decade and interest particularly in the United States was diverted to the lower weights. At the back end of 2018, however, things seemed to be turning once more and the hype, the personalities and the excitement looked like it was back, or at least knocking on the door. Since then there have been yet more dramatic developments that first of all looked to have stopped that momentum, and then to have stoked up the fires again.

Drama at the Garden

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Anthony Joshua was at the wrong end of the of the sport’s biggest shocks

All the talk last fall, winter and into this spring was about whether the three men at the top of the division would fight. Fury and Wilder had of course got in on in the ring last December. Despite being judged a draw, it is widely acknowledged that Fury – the Gypsy King - was very unlucky not to have his hand raised. A rematch looked like it was going to happen, with Joshua waiting for the winner and the division would finally have a unified champion. Then politics and money reared its head, and Fury signed his hugely lucrative ESPN deal. Any chance of the three fighters getting into the same ring in the near future suddenly looked a long way off.

Then something almost no one saw coming happened, in a way that it can only in fight sports. Andy Ruiz Jr shocked the world by stopping previously undefeated world champion Anthony Joshua in New York. That fight not only derailed Joshua’s plans to dominate the division, it also had huge consequences for the other two fighters, and boxing fans around the globe. From the three fighters being miles away from agreeing to terms which would see them fight, that momentous result at Maddison Square Garden may well have brought those fights a lot closer. The fact that all three fighters were undefeated was what was driving the stakes ever higher. That is no longer the case. From there being three camps with fairly equally strong hands, we are down to two, and that means things are very much more likely to get done. The fights will now not earn as much money for the promoters that is for sure, but the interest will still be intense, as will be the betting markets, especially in the US where punters will be able to bet online for the first time at the likes of Fox Bet.

Joshua, Wilder and Fury

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Deontay Wilder dispatched Breazeale with a brutal 1st round knockout

There was a collective sigh from boxing fans when the three fights for the division’s biggest stars were announced. Breazeale, Miller and Schwarz were not the names anyone had guessed or wanted. In actual fact however, each fight was spectacular in its own way. The history of boxing is littered with dramatic knockouts, but Wilder’s first round demolition of Dominic Breazeale warrants its own page. The Bronze Bomber could not have done any more to state his claim as the divisions most dangerous man. Though everyone already knew he could punch, it was the clinical nature of the knockout that has made his stock rise.

That put the pressure on Joshua, making his American professional debut, to produce an equally impressive statement against Miller’s late replacement Ruiz Jr. The statement was made by the man in the other corner however, the Mexican becoming the first to win a heavyweight belt. A rematch looks certain, and anything but a convincing win for Joshua will see the Olympic champion’s career and legacy in tatters.

The last of the triumvirate to step into the ring was Tyson Fury. Up against the unbeaten but limited German Schwarz, Fury was in danger of being in a no-win situation. The Mancunian has looked better against better fighters, and his style and skills are not suited at being the aggressor in the ring. That was not the case however. Though the fight only lasted less than two rounds it was a masterclass in everything that is good about Fury. He proved again he is one of the most skilful boxers ever to fight at heavyweight, but he also brought some spite into the ring, bloodying and then dispatching the German with some clinical and heavy punches.

Those three fights could not have gone any better for Fury and Wilder, or any worse for Joshua. At a time when the division looked like it had lost any momentum it had gained through the Fury Wilder fight, they have put the division back at the forefront of people’s minds. The events of the last 6 weeks or so, have meant that the chances of all three fighters going head to head before this time next year are a lot lot higher. And if the promoters earn less money, well, then that’s even better.

 

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