When Tyson Fury triumphantly got back to his feet in the 11th round against WBC champion, Deontay Wilder, it was almost poetic. Much like most others watching what will go down as one of the greatest moments in boxing of year, I was stunned, but couldn’t help but feel that it represented the rebirth of heavyweight boxing. Call me sentimental but it felt good to see the division getting back up off the canvas.
Heavyweight boxing was once where it was at. Even in the early 2000s, the division was still relevant, with ring legends Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, and Mike Tyson still fighting. The division also had other top-class competitors like the Klitschko brothers, David Tua, and Hasim Rahman. There were some big fights in the first couple of years at the turn of the century, but the division slowly went downhill towards the mid-point of that decade.
In the 1990s, the heavyweight division was in great shape. Many of the fighters named above were plying their trade in some of the biggest pay-per-view events on the planet. Other fighters like Riddick Bowe and the second-incarnation of George Foreman made fans love the division, given that the 80s lacked the snap of the previous decade, despite Tyson’s emergence to power and Larry Holmes’ great work.
Of course, the 1970s will probably be remembered as the greatest period in the heavyweight division (of the second half of the century, at least). Muhammad Ali, the young George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Earnie Shavers, and Ken Norton brought great joy to boxing fans.
Most pugilism enthusiasts certainly bemoaned the lack of quality in later years. Heavyweight boxing in the 2010s has been a little… meh. However, as we approach the third decade of the millennium, things are changing. 2019 is set to be the catalyst of a heavyweight revival, of sorts, and here’s why.
There is no doubt that, as it stands, the three kings of boxing’s heavyweight division are Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua. While the first two put on an incredible (yet controversial) bout in Los Angeles in December, a matchup between any two of these three unbeaten fighters is bound to be big news. Big news in heavyweight boxing makes for big money, too.
It is this desire to keep all three making money that serves as the greatest roadblock to seeing matchups between them. In the case of Anthony Joshua, at least, there seems to be an absolute reluctance on his team’s behalf to take on Wilder or Fury. In the age of “protecting the 0” – a fighter doing their best to prevent their stock collapsing in the event of a defeat – this is simply business, much to the dismay of fans.
Wilder and Fury made it happen, however, and it felt good to see two of the best in the division throw down. The WBC has also made the rematch a mandatory defense for Wilder, meaning that we get to see the second installment at some point next year. This can only be good for the division as it takes the power away from Joshua and his team, who pretty much established themselves as the number 1 power in the division.
With Wilder and Fury taking the attention away from “AJ,” the Watford-born star will be forced to look elsewhere, not that there was any danger of him wanting a bout with either man. This can also be a good thing for the division as it gives one of the other leading heavyweights a chance to shine and build up their reputation against the most wanted man in the division.
There will invariably come a time when the winner of Wilder vs. Fury II (or the man to emerge with the title from a trilogy) faces Joshua. Eddie Hearn and the rest of Joshua’s team may not be too keen on exposing him to the dangers of getting beaten, but, for as long as they do this, he will not be able to consider himself as the “baddest man on the planet.”
While Fury was sinking in the murk of substance abuse and mental health issues, Wilder and Joshua were teasing at a unification bout. Of course, that didn’t happen and both men looked to inferior opposition. As Joshua could be matched up against a bus stop with a pair of boxing gloves attached to it, and still sell out for the legions of casual fans who adore him while knowing little about the sport, he simply didn’t have to entertain Wilder’s calls for a fight.
When Fury returned to put on one of the fights of the year against Wilder, all that kind of changed. The same casual fans that would watch Joshua dispatch of fighters that were inferior to him now would question why their all-conquering hero was reluctant to fight Wilder or Fury. Diehard boxing fans would grow bored of Joshua’s formality fights and would instead look to his rivals to make the division great again.
The simple fact is that, in 2019, we could genuinely see a bout between Wilder/Fury and Joshua. The biggest fight of the two is undoubtedly Joshua vs. Fury, but only if he can make it past Wilder in order to see the fight happen. Otherwise, we could be waiting a while to get the fight that would send British fans, at very least, crazy with anticipation. Wilder is not as big of a name in Britain and is not exactly the most well-known American heavyweight champion in history, either.
Taking things away from the big guns in the division, there is still quality to be found outside the Wilder, Fury, Joshua triangle. In Britain, Eddie Hearn has done a great job at selling many of these heavyweights to the public and should be praised for his ability to put on a show with guys that wouldn’t have been in the top 10 in the 70s, 80s, or 90s. However, some real talent has emerged in that process.
At the end of 2018, there are some names that can certainly become bigger and better in 2019. While there is not exactly a conveyor belt of younger fighters, there are those who have been beating at the door for some time now. Add in a few others who have been there or thereabouts, and you have a nice pool of fighters in the division.
In 2019, we can expect to see more from the likes of Dillian Whyte, Luis Ortiz, Alexander Povetkin, Joseph Parker, Jarrel Miller, Adam Kownacki, and Kubrat Pulev. However, the fighter of the year candidate and undisputed cruiserweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk, is rumored to hold an interest in moving up to heavyweight to fight Joshua. If this happens, we could have another standout fighter in the division.
All in all, there are many fights to make at heavyweight in 2019. If fans get the bouts they want, the division will undoubtedly grow as a result and will be put back on the map. For the past 12 years or so, the money and interest have been on the welterweight and middleweight divisions. As such, it would be nice to see a return to the times when heavyweight boxing truly mattered.
These fights can make that happen:
Undoubtedly the best fight in the heavyweight division for some time, Wilder vs. Fury was a roaring success. Unfortunately for Fury and boxing fans in general, the decision was a disgrace and the “Gypsy King” should have got his Rocky-esque, happy ending. The positive that we can take from that, however, is the impending rematch that should happen in 2019. Should being the operative word here.
In boxing, there are no guarantees. Yes, the bout has been mandated by the WBC for some time in the spring or summer, but this does not necessarily mean that it will go ahead without some kind of drama. An injury or “injury” to either man can easily see the fight postponed until 2020 or beyond – if one of Wilder or Fury gets a better offer that they can gravitate towards without affecting their respective careers.
As the new year approaches, a little positivity is probably in order. Assuming things do happen the way we want them to, this is certainly the fight that will interest fans more than any other in the heavyweight division. A pure clash of styles, Wilder’s power punching vs. Fury’s slick, defensive boxing style is what made this bout the contender for fight of the year in the first place. The second installment is likely to be just as fun.
I didn’t really get what I wanted from Santa this year, but I’m willing to give the big guy a pass if he can help get this fight off the ground. Yes, it should happen. There is no indication that there will be any problems from either camp. It’s just that, in boxing, having your heart broken is par for the course.
Is there a bigger fight to make in British boxing? If there is, I would like to hear about it. The best thing about this matchup is that it is arguably the biggest fight to make in heavyweight boxing, period. The strong, hard-hitting Joshua paired up with the awkward boxing of Fury has the makings of a very interesting clash of styles.
Providing both men are still unbeaten heading into the hypothetical matchup, you can almost be guaranteed that one will walk away with an “L” on their record. Almost, as we thought that with Wilder vs. Fury and that one ended up in a draw. There are some who believe that Joshua has too much for Fury and others that believe “AJ” would struggle massively against the best boxer in the division.
The British public would certainly be happy to pay big bucks for this one. As such, this fight is a certainty to happen at some point down the line. It is conceivable to see this bout being the major fight to look forward to in 2020, but there is a good chance that we can get it earlier. With Fury expected to fight Wilder in the spring/summer and Joshua looking likely to rematch Whyte, it can happen.
Whatever way you look at it, this is, potentially, the best fight there is out there in the division. The only way it will happen is if the stars align and both camps can agree on the right terms. Fury and Wilder showed how smoothly things can go between two of the division’s best, so let’s hope we see this one sooner, rather than later.
On the other hand, there are fans that believe this to be the best fight in the heavyweight division. This was the fight that looked as though it was going to happen, but for whatever reason, just fell through the net. Wilder blamed Joshua, Joshua blamed Wilder, and the fans were left scratching their heads looking for anyone to blame. Is there a chance it could happen in 2019? Absolutely.
Much like a fight between Joshua and Fury, Wilder will likely have to get past Fury before he can land a unification fight with “AJ.” Saying that Wilder does indeed beat Fury in the rematch, he will be justified in moving on to a massive payday against Joshua. The “Bronze Bomber” could also hold the cards when it comes to a trilogy fight with Fury if that was right for him and his team.
The most likely issue that would stand in the way between a matchup between the division’s two champions is finances: according to Eddie Hearn, Wilder wanted more money than he was worth which led to the collapse of discussions for a bout in 2018. If the money is right and the venue can be agreed on (it is unlikely that Joshua will want to travel to the U.S. for the bout) it can happen.
Given that Fury is a native to England and already a huge name in British sports, it is also likely that Joshua and his team would prefer to fight him over Wilder. There are other complications that can hinder this fight, but there are also many positives to the matchup that can see it happen (most notably, the WBC strap). Just don’t expect it to happen in 2019, unless Wilder beats Fury, that is.
An interesting fight that you may be surprised to learn is not out of the leftfield. According to Hearn, Fury contacted him in December wanting to set up a fight with Dillian Whyte following the Londoner’s 11th round knockout of another cockney, Dereck Chisora. Whyte is tipped to get the next shot at bitter rival Anthony Joshua’s crown in 2019, but a Fury vs. Whyte bout can also happen.
There are few that would give Whyte much of a chance against Joshua, considering that he was knocked out by the Watford-native in 2015. Since then, Whyte has racked together an impressive record of 9-0 and does get better with every fight. If he did somehow beat Joshua, an immediate rematch would be in order, making it impossible for Fury to get at him until 2020 at the earliest.
If Joshua beats Whyte, if that fight is indeed his next bout, then Fury would look nailed on to fight the Jamaican-born puncher. If it made sense to him, that is. A fight between Fury and Whyte could be the first defense of the WBC title if Fury manages to find a way of beating Wilder and there is no immediate rematch clause in the contract for the bout.
Beyond the complications, money, belts, and politics, this fight would be a lot of fun. Fury and Whyte would be an interesting bout between a tall, rangy, awkward boxer, and a pressure fighter with a fair amount of power in his hands. We have seen what Whyte can do under pressure, and his KOs over Lucas Browne and Chisora are both contenders for the knockout of the year.
Usyk, as mentioned above, is a potential newcomer to the heavyweight division. The Ukrainian looks the favorite to win several fighter of the year awards and has proven himself, once again, to be a sensational talent. 2018 ended on a high note for the 31-year-old with a career-ending knockout of Tony Bellew. The undisputed cruiserweight champion is said to want a new challenge, and heavyweight just might be where he finds it.
Of course, a fighter with the ambition and talent of Usyk will want to go for the big boys. He has recently let it be known that a fight with Anthony Joshua interests him but this is unlikely to be something that will happen without Usyk finding his feet in the division first. I believe that the ideal first opponent for the cruiserweight champion at heavyweight is Joseph Parker.
Parker has two losses on his record, to Joshua and Whyte, and both in 2018. As a result, his standing as one of the most dangerous fighters in the division has slipped a little. The New Zealander will be desperate to prove his worth and climb back into title contention. The attention will certainly be on Usyk if and when he makes the move into the heavyweight division, and this is something that can help Parker in his efforts to establish himself as a true threat.
For Usyk, a win over Parker – who, at 6ft 4 stands just one inch taller – would make the big boys stand up and take notice. More than anything, it will add even more freshness to the heavyweight division and provide an opportunity for bigger fights in 2019. Both men could really benefit from a win in this matchup and it would be a fun fight to watch. Everyone wins!
Providing fans get the big fights next year, we could be celebrating one of the best years in heavyweight boxing. Given that it has been a long time since the bigger boys have been at the forefront of the sport, I say it’s about time.
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