By: Sean Cross
If anything sums up boxing today, it’s probably the recent circus of a potential December mega-fight between WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. It’s okay if it’s not an interesting match. These two have been going around each other for years. Sadly, though, it looks like the much-anticipated throwdown won’t happen — at least not in December. By the way, both fighters seem to want the fight. Alas, the modern fighting game’s Galaxy Brain aspect seems to be preventing December’s clash from becoming a reality.
Gareth Davies, one of the sport’s best journalists, will have more knowledge of this frustrating situation than anyone. Speaking with Friday iFL TV The ubiquitous fight reporter expressed some dismay at the fact that Fury and Team Joshua didn’t seem to be getting along. “I think it’s that situation where the gloves go up, they meet and then they decide to back off, but they end up going against each other,” Davis said. Ah well, maybe it was always too good to be true. Still, the situation serves as a sad commentary on the modern wrestling game. “There are details in Anthony Joshua’s trade value,” Davis said, citing one report that the fight was not signed, that his trade partners…couldn’t get what they wanted.
That’s all well and good, of course. Boxing is a business and wrestling means big money. Still, Davis clearly feels that a match of this magnitude shouldn’t suffer the death of a thousand cuts through negative ratings. “Do it, you know?” he asks rhetorically. In fact, the whole affair has a sudden beginning. Shortly after losing a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk last summer, Joshua was offered a fight with Fury that included a 60/40 split. Although cautious, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn says the prospect of a 60/40 cut is legitimate. As of this writing, however, the fight has not been agreed upon… and may never be. Then again, one does not know.
“It feels like one of the biggest we’ve ever had,” Davis said. Of course, many feel the whole thing is a hoax. A quick look at Boxing Twitter reveals comments suggesting that Fury had no interest in fighting Joshua – or outright implied it. Otherwise, the argument seems to go, why push for a fight in December? Both sides have certainly been talking, but this means that the issue is always at least somewhat serious.
This makes the current situation even more desperate.
