Tyson Fury Shouldn’t Be Stripped, John Fury Reacts
Carl Froch has rejected calls for Tyson Fury to be stripped of his belt.
The WBC heavyweight champion recently turned heads when he confirmed that he would be fighting Francis Ngannou on October 28th, 2023.
And as part of that process, the bout ended hopes of an undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk happening anytime soon.
As a result, Usyk’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk, suggested that Fury should be stripped.
“He’s not actually breaking any rules of the WBC, but from a pure sports point of view, he has to be stripped because he stays inactive for so long, and he’s cheating people, announcing fights that don’t take place,” Fury said
Froch On Fury
Although that may be the case, it is important to bear in mind the following. The mandatory for Fury’s belt has been complicated because of Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz Jr.’s failure to agree to a bout.
The pair had been ordered by the WBC to fight each other. However, the two fighters have been unable to agree to a purse split.
Wilder’s team has demanded 70-30, while Ruiz’s team is demanding an equal split. And the end result has been that Wilder and Ruiz have not fought for the interim title.
But for all the criticism that may be coming his way, Froch does not believe that the ‘Gypsy King’ should be stripped.
“If the WBC calls a mandatory and he’s not fulfilling his mandatory obligations then they should strip him but if he’s not been ordered to fight, he’s within his right to keep hold of that belt and go and do this celebrity clown show that he’s involved in.The WBC should not strip him,” Froch
John Fury Reacts
Much in the same way, Fury’s father, John Fury, has defended his son’s decision to fight Ngannou.
This was on the grounds that Muhammad Ali had done such a thing by taking on wrestler Antonio Inoki which was a major crossover event.
And given that Fury has beaten some of the best fighters in his era, John Fury justified the WBC champion’s upcoming fight.
“It’s a good business move, it’s a good payday. You know, I think the people make comments are people who are irrelevant anyway.
“I know fans are what we want, but what can he do? What can he do? No one wants to fight the kid. So this opportunity presented itself. He took it with both hands, and why not?” John Fury
Jake Paul’s View
And by the looks of it, the bout will also be good business for Ngannou. The former UFC heavyweight champion decided to leave the organization after contract talks broke down.
Although Dana White had reportedly offered close to $8 million in order to fight Jon Jones, Ngannou turned it down.
That could have backfired since it was a career-high payday. But since Ngannou inked a deal with the PFL, the MMA star has managed to gain more.
Jake Paul confirmed as much by expanding on how Ngannou would be paid at least $10 million, that being the most he has ever been offered to do a bout.
“Francis got eight figures. Not $8million. Get it right. “To all the Twitter geniuses: eight figures = $10,000,000+ and Francis deserves every bit of it,” Paul
Nevertheless, the bout will have further consequences. Fury’s payday may work against him if talks over an Usyk fight emerge again.
If the figures that Fury is being offered are a career high, then there is an expectation that the ‘Gypsy King’ will want to command a similar figure.
Not only that, but facing Usyk after Ngannou cannot be the ideal preparation. Therefore, there is a possibility of Fury seeking another fight after Ngannou, thus delaying things with Usyk once again.
John Fury Doubles Down
And that is something that John Fury hinted at with his following comments: “The rest of the world can’t compete with Saudi Arabia. Not a chance. So people today are making comments about things they don’t really understand,” John Fury
“Muhammad Ali did the same thing when he was lineal champion. What’s he doing wrong? He can’t get a fight, there’s no mandatories. So what does he do?
“Sits on his arms to please the public? I don’t think he’s going to do that. That’s why it’s called professional boxing. It’s about money and business. That’s it. Good luck to him. There’s no more you can say,” John Fury
Ultimately, the Fury-Ngannou will be a spectacle. But looking at things from a long term point of view, it could end up doing more damage for boxing since it prevents the biggest fights from getting made.
And with Saudi Arabia as a major money power house, fighters may have more options. But in doing so, the fans may lose out.
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