Posted on 10/12/2020
By: Hans Themistode
Tyson Fury has waited, waited and waited some more. But now, the 32 year old heavyweight champion is through sitting on the sidelines.
For months now, Fury has been waiting to prove that his seventh round stoppage win over Deontay Wilder earlier this year was anything but a fluke. Yet, with a worldwide pandemic postponing several of their rematch dates and Wilder’s team attempting to buy their former champion more time, Fury has walked away from the table entirely.
“They asked me if I would agree to push it to December. I agreed to Dec. 19,” said Fury to The Athletic. “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.”
Moving on from a fight with Wilder was essentially impossible. But with the former champions mandated rematch clause expiring, nothing is now restraining Fury from walking out the door. Which is exactly what he is doing.
The rivalry between Wilder and Fury is one that goes back to 2018. The two fought to a draw during their December matchup. Fury controlled most of the fight and would have cruised to a decision win if it weren’t for two dramatic knockdowns produced by Wilder. Their rematch, which took place earlier this year, was as one sided as ever.
With Wilder firmly in his rearview mirror, the heavyweight titlist now looks ahead. After four straight contests in America, Fury is looking to have a homecoming contest in December.
Despite leaving a trilogy matchup with Wilder on the table, the British native believes it isn’t necessary to speculate on how their contest would have played out.
“I was looking forward to smashing Wilder again. A quick and easy fight,” Fury said. “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.”
Should Fury pick up a win before the year ends, he already has eyes set on grabbing the remaining three belts in the heavyweight division sometime next year.
“I am the best fighter in the world. The lineal heavyweight champion. The two-time Ring magazine heavyweight champion. The WBC heavyweight champion,” Fury said. “And before the end of 2021, I will be the only man on this earth with a heavyweight championship belt.”