Tyson Fury won easily and teased another sideshow attraction, Mike Tyson trades the boxing ring for a JetBlue flight, and a can’t-miss women’s boxing superfight goes down this Saturday!
Tyson Fury (32-0-1) stayed undefeated and retained his WBC heavyweight title with a win over countryman Dillian Whyte (28-3) in a wildly one-sided affair. After a first round that was only close because almost nothing happened, Fury outclassed Whyte, making it quickly apparent the fight would not be close. Fury showed off his top tier defense, versatile offense, and newly found power. (Prior to his second fight against Deontay Wilder, Fury had mostly either won decisions, worn guys down and referees stepped in after the opponent stopped fighting back even though the opponent was still on his feet, like against Tom Schwarz, or the opponents’ corner had stopped the fight. The last time Fury had shown one-punch power prior to the Wilder rematch was against Joey Abell in 2014, which was certainly levels below where Fury is once again knocking opponents out cleanly.) It’s now safe to say Tyson Fury has bona fide power.
There’s not much else to say about a fight so one-sided. The only bit of controversy is something some fans pointed out immediately; after catching Whye cleanly and putting him on unsteady legs, Fury pushes him with both arms, sending him toppling to the canvas. This is technically an illegal maneuver and could have been cause to grant Whyte limited time to recover before resuming the fight. Instead the referee started a ten count and stopped the fight when Whyte stood up and promptly stumbled into the ropes. For his part, Whyte believes that this was a significant mistake on the part of the referee and has called for a rematch.
Though the push may have been illegal, the fight was likely to end anyway. Though Whyte had stayed standing after the uppercut that buckled his legs, he leaned into Fury. Had Fury simply stepped backward (or landed another blow) Whyte likely would have gone down without the extracurricular activities. Regardless of the push it was going to end soon, one way or another.
What comes next for each fighter? Coming into the fight Dillian Whyte had lost twice before, to Anthony Joshua (24-2) and Alexander Povetkin (36-3-1). In both of those fights, much like this one, Whyte was finished by an uppercut. His elbows flare when he brings his guard up, leaving a significant opening for an uppercut to connect cleanly. If Whyte wants to continue to compete at a high level, he’ll need to fix this and do so quickly. Other top heavyweights’ trainers are smart enough to recognize this pattern and work on ways to exploit it. I don’t think he’ll be able to fix such a glaring hole, however, and I think taking one last fight against Deontay Wilder might be a great payday before he retires.
As mentioned above, however, Whyte is keen on a rematch with Fury. He’s unlikely have his request granted. After belting out a rendition of American Pie Fury toyed with the idea of a crossover superfight with UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou (17-3 in MMA) or retiring from the sport altogether.
A Fury/Ngannou fight would be unlikely to be competitive, but it would make both men a lot of money, so it’s quite possible. It would be nice to see Ngannou, who has been spurned and underpaid by the UFC, make the money he deserves to.
Should Fury retire he’ll go down as an all-time great heavyweight, having been the first man to beat Wladimir Klitschko in over ten years and being the only man to defeat Deontay Wilder, both wins by KO. His place as an all-time great is inarguable. However, the broadcast discussed him potentially being the greatest of all time. Going just based on the eye test that theory is plausible, but when discussing the greatest of all time resumes must factor into the discussion. Though Fury has a good one, the third best name on his ledger is probably Whyte. From there it’s an even bigger drop. (Perhaps Christian Hammer is fourth?) it’s in no way comparable to those of Ali, Louis, Lewis, and the like. Appreciate Fury’s accomplishments for what they are, but the hyperbole on the broadcast was excessive.
Other Notable Results
Jessica Andrade defeats Amanda Lemos (SUB 1)
Claudio Puellos defeats Clay Guida (SUB 1)
Maycee Barber defeats Montana De La Rosa (UD)
Tommy Fury defeats Daniel Bocianski (Referee Decision 6)
Mike Tyson was filmed punching a fellow passenger on a JetBlue flight after the other man reportedly harassed Tyson for multiple minutes. No charges have been pressed.
Boxing
Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano, Saturday 4/30, 7:30PM (EST)1
View full cardOscar Valdez vs. Shakur Stevenson, Saturday 4/30, 10:00 PM (EST)
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MMA
UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Vera, Saturday 4/30, 7:00PM (EST)
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I don’t feel informed enough to give a preview analysis of Taylor/Serrano, as I’ve only seen each fight once or twice, but Boxing Scene reporter Jake Donovan is covering it ringside and will have a lot of info on the fight. Follow him on Twitter for coverage.