Clarity on Fury’s Next Opponent(s) For December 5th

by Kris Anthony (krisanthonyboxing@gmail.com)

So, Fury vs Wilder 3 is off. With this article, we will break down the WBC top 15 heavyweights as Fury is now to have said he will be facing someone from the WBC list. We will take into account IF they are fighting prior and if they are feasible as the next WBC challenger. 

There will also be the latest from Swede Otto Wallin (who should be in the top 10 after the hard war he gave Fury just two fights ago.

After, there is the response from all surrounding this confusing boxing circus.

1/ Deontay Wilder (US)

The WBC number one has seemingly publicly disappeared since his loss to Fury in the rematch, subsequently blaming his ‘heavy’ ring-walk costume and tampered gloves as the reason for the loss and then sacking his trainer Mark Breland for stopping the fight too early. They delayed the rematch to December 19th (Fury agreed) then supposedly wanted to delay it until next year (Fury did not agree). Fight is off, so no.

2/  Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine)

Is fighting Derek Chisora on October 31st. No.

3/  Luis Ortiz (Cuba)

Is supposedly scheduled to fight Alexander Flores on November 7th. Unless he cancels this scheduled fight, it is unlikely.

4/  Andy Ruiz Jr. (Mexico/US)

Is currently in with a new trainer (1st week) and with no scheduled fights, this could only be an outside chance of happening. Ruiz needs to get back to his best and adapt to his new trainer. Also, too much of a high risk fighter for Fury that would ruin the plans for the 2021 showdown with Anthony Joshua. Very unlikely.

5/  Dillian Whyte (Jamaica/GB)

Re-matching Alexander Povetkin on November 21st. No.

6/  Joseph Parker (New Zealand)

Scheduled to fight fellow New Zealander Junior Fa with their domestic showdown on December 11th. No.

7/  Daniel Dubois (GB)

Fighting Joe Joyce on November 28th. No.

8/  Oscar Rivas (Colombia/Canada)

Last seen on 20/7/19 losing a close decision in a very competitive bout with Dillian Whyte. Young with a 26-1, 18 KO’s record, the dark horse for us and would be a huge risk to Fury. Would be interesting but the high risk like Ruiz Jr. makes it unlikely.

9/  Filip Hrgovic (Croatia)

Unbeaten, dangerous but not well known with no top victims on his list, again another good (or at least interesting) match which would be high risk/low reward written all over it. Very unlikely.

10/  Michael Hunter (US)

Hmm, IF it has to be a top 15 WBC contender (and that is the bottom line with this list), he is one of the top possibilities. Capable, though not a hard puncher and drew with Povetkin (many thought Hunter won), this based on the criteria stated by Fury’s camp is likely.

11/  Joe Joyce (GB)

Fighting Daniel Dubois November 28th. No.

12/  Derek Chisora (GB)

Fighting Oleksandr Usyk on October 31st. No.

13/  Charles Martin (US)

Another one of our favorites to be in the running. Low risk based on his defeats yet a recognisable name being a former IBF heavyweight champ and Anthony Joshua foe. With no scheduled fights and has history of willingness for fights at short notice,  this is our front-runner. Likely.

14/  Efe Ajagba (Nigeria)

Has promise but is too raw and not ready. A power puncher that is being brought along slowly, we doubt that his handlers would put him in with Fury now. Also, we doubt if Fury’s handlers would want him in with Ajaba with the chance he posses with his raw punching power. It is unlikely though many would be licking their lips at this potential match up.

Agit Kabayel (Germany)

Not very well known. medium risk but very low reward as not marketable to the hardcore nor casual fan. Unlikely.

(Where was Alexander Povetkin in this list???? We took this direct from the WBC’s website)

Sum up

Out of the 15, it can only be Luis Ortiz, Andy Ruiz Jr, Oscar Rivas, Filip Hrgovic, Michael Hunter, Charles Martin, Efe Ajagba and Agit Kabayel. Most likely Hunter or Martin. Hmm….it’s a logical list again based on it being top 15 WBC.

Not in the top 15 (if allowed by the WBC), look for Dominic Breazeale, Carlos Takam or Robert Helenius or if desperate, Lucas Browne.

Sweden’s IBF #14-ranked Otto Wallin (21-1, 14 KO’s) says that he’s the rightful choice against Fury though again, not in the top 15.

“Who better than Otto Wallin, who gave Fury the toughest fight of his life?” asks his promoter, Dmitriy Salita.

Wallin added: “I deserve a rematch based on my performance against Fury last year, I did much better against Fury than Wilder did, better than anybody who has faced Fury and I’m ready to take Wilder’s place. I’ve been working very hard since last year and I believe I’ve improved with the experience from fighting Fury and with all the work I’ve put in since that fight.”

If allowed, this fight makes sense as it is far more marketable than any of the aforementioned. Would Fury really risk it though???

Prior to the December 5th date being mentioned, below is some of the lead up to the above (just in case you missed it).

He told the Athletic: “I was looking forward to smashing Wilder again. A quick and easy fight. But Wilder and his team were messing around with the date. They don’t really want to fight the lineal heavyweight champion.

“They know how it ends. The world knows how it will end: with Wilder on his ass again. Then they asked me if I would agree to push it to December. I agreed to Dec 19. Then they tried to change the date again into next year. I’ve been training. I’m ready. When they tried moving off Dec 19 and pushing to next year, enough was enough. I’ve moved on. I am the best fighter in the world. The lineal heavyweight champion. The two-time Ring magazine heavyweight champion. The WBC heavyweight champion. And before the end of 2021, I will be the only man on this earth with a heavyweight championship belt.”

The Gypsy King claimed the other camp (Wilder) have not confirmed anything, even the postponed December 19th 2020 and he is now free to take on Anthony Joshua next year with the ‘all belts’ unification in 2021.

Shelly Finkel has denied the claims: “They are wrong, we will fight in December” he told Sky Sports.

Bob Arum told talkSPORT: “That’s up to Tyson because if we can’t, as appears to be the case, put on Wilder vs Fury this year, Tyson wants to keep busy and we are going to accommodate him. Then next year, assuming Joshua beats Pulev, we can look forward to a Fury vs Joshua fight.”

Wilder’s team has said there is no “expired contract.”

But with all this said, the WBC has not confirmed this, and they are the ones that will say whether this really is the case or not. They have said they have not been informed by either camp about not wanting it to go ahead (or not).

Frank Warren added: “Contractual commitments are what they are, but contracts do not go on forever, and if the fight cannot be delivered within the contractual period, Tyson will move on and maybe revisit the fight another time.”

And we thought the Fury vs Whyte situation was confusing. Surely contracts do expire if one camp is not, well, saying or doing much.

With December quickly approaching, it looks like time will surely tell and give us the answers.

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