By: Sean Crose
“Whether it takes place at Wembley Stadium, inside Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, or outside my front yard, it’s still five years too late.” So says Yahoo Sport’s Darshan Desai in a recent column where he states outright that the supposedly upcoming Tyson Fury – Anthony Joshua fight is frankly past its prime and of little significance. Let’s face it, the man does have a point. For whatever reasons, good or bad, Anthony, Joshua and Tyson Fury never got to get it on in the ring while they were both ruling supreme. And that, frankly, is too bad.
Yet this may be a very good fight worth saving. I say the word “may” because I’m still not convinced it’s going to happen. People are speaking about things like location and such minutia. The truth is these two have come close to fighting before and have never actually done it. Now their best days are behind them. Young bucks are on the rise, Oleksandr Usyk conquered them twice a piece. What are these two fighting for.. what exactly? Well, I’ll tell you: these two super sized heavyweights are keen on fighting because a brawl between the two will answer the single question that makes boxing great: Which one is the better fighter?
We still don’t have an answer to that one, which is why I’ll be fascinated to see how the Joshua-Fury fight will play out, should it actually come to fruition. Again, I’m not completely convinced. One thing’s for sure, this is the last chance this fight is going to have at becoming a major event in the sport of boxing. Seriously, if it goes on beyond 2026, it’s an old folks match…. At least that’s how some will see it. It will certainly be seen as past its sell by date.
Of course, if this fight actually happens and then it becomes a thriller, a rematch will be much see television, or in the parlance of the modern world, much see streaming. People thought Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns were diminished heading into their rematch in the late ’80s, but the fight ended up being terrific, a classic worthy of the name. Should that kind of match go down between these two Englishman no one will care whether it’s relevant or not. The sheer thrills of the contest will make it relevant.
It’s hard to imagine either of these men really needing to fight each other, or to fight anyone at all at this point. They’ve made untold fortunes for themselves and although boxers are notorious for leaking away millions of dollars, neither should find himself at the doors of a poor house anytime soon. Fighters fight, however, even when they’re over their primes, even when it’s dangerous to still be fighting. They may be less than they were, but both Fury and Joshua have the competitive spirit. And that still counts for something even in an era where high-level fighters can go years without actually slipping in between the ropes.
So yes, people will be interested in seeing this fight. Although criticism of it is legitimate and well warranted, these two not so young men are young enough to draw in a crowd. It’s not going to be relevant. It’s certainly not going to be what it could have been. But it will be something. And when it comes to fight fans sometimes just something is good enough. That shouldn’t be the case.. but that’s just sadly how it goes sometimes. Here’s hoping the fight, should it actually occur, is a doozy. It still has the makings of being an excellent affair.
