Tyson Fury needs to finally fight Oleksandr Usyk to salvage a reputation which has been dealt a serious blow

01/11/2023 13:17

Things went bump in the night for Tyson Fury in Riyadh (Picture: Getty Images)

Halloween came early for Tyson Fury as his reputation took a massive blow which was even bigger than the one that sent him crashing to the canvas in Saudi Arabia.

It was Fright Night in Riyadh for the Gypsy King as MMA fighter Francis Ngannou dropped him with a left hook in the third round before losing a split decision at the end of 12 uncomfortable rounds for the WBC heavyweight champion.

If Fury, whose belt was not in the line, thought this was an easy way to make a quick buck he was sorely mistaken and promoter Frank Warren has already ruled out a return to the ring before the new year.

It was a controversial victory and merely muddies the heavyweight waters with boxing heading towards 2024 in anything but the best shape.

The big guys in the ring and those dealing with promotions need to get their acts together because the mess has gone on for too long.

Oleksandr Usyk will have been encouraged watching Tyson Fury struggle (Picture: Getty Images)

How about the title contenders who love to give it the big ‘un when they mouth off from their ringside seats actually climbing over the ropes and getting down to business with meaningful fights?

The perfect New Year's resolution would be to aim for a series of battles between Fury, WBA, WBO and IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder early in 2024.

Maybe throw Zhilei 'Big Bang' Zhang into the mix and perhaps former UFC champion Ngannou as well and let's see if Cuba's unbeaten Frank Sanchez is anything to write home about. There aren't any others who cut the mustard.

The fight all boxing fans want to watch is Fury taking on Usyk for the undisputed titles as the prestige of being the best in the world. The Briton is currently no better than 4/7 with Ladbrokes, Coral, Betfair and Paddy Power to emerge triumphant from what should be an absorbing scrap.

But the Ukrainian should hold all the belts after the dust has settled at 17/10 with BetMGM, BetUK and Unibet. Usyk could even finish the fight early which is 6/1 with Paddy Power and Betfair.