Three possible opponents for Tyson Fury should Anthony Joshua lose to Oleksandr Usyk
Many British boxing fans will be watching on through their fingers on September 25th, as Anthony Joshua trades blows with the undefeated Oleksandr Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London.
Author:James PierceReviewer:Emily SanchezAug 06, 202111.7K Shares651K Views
Many British boxing fans will be watching on through their fingers on September 25th, as Anthony Joshua trades blows with the undefeated Oleksandr Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London.
AJ’s WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles won’t be the only thing on the line on the night, as losing to the Ukrainian would throw a massive spanner in the works of a future all-British unification bout between Joshua and his old foe Tyson Fury, who will go toe-to-toe with Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas on October 9th.
Luckily, Joshua is the heavy favourite in the boxing betting oddsto dispatch of the 2012 Olympic gold medalist at Spurs’ state-of-the-art stadium. However, should Usyk usurp the odds, Bob Arum, Fury’s promoter stateside, has already claimedthat the 32-year-old has plenty of options for another bout in the United States.
So, in the worst-case scenario, let’s take a look at three possible opponents for ‘The Gypsy King’ should AJ suffer the second defeat of his professional career against Usyk. Read on to find out more!
Dillian Whyte
It may not be the all-British heavyweight encounter that we all so desperately want, but a bout between Dillian Whyte and Fury would certainly gain a lot of interest. After losing his WBC interim heavyweight title to Alexander Povetkin last August, in a fight many backed Whyte to win in the boxing tips, the 33-year-old Londoner redeemed himself in Gibraltar earlier this year, knocking out the Russian in the fourth round. There’s been plenty of beef between the pair in the past, with Whyte even claimingthat Fury has turned down opportunities to fight him already in his career. So, it would be great to see them finally get in the ring!
Andy Ruiz Jr
If Fury is to stay out in the US for his next bout, then Andy Ruiz Jr could be a great option for The Gypsy King. Ruiz Jr made a name for himself in the boxing world when he stunned Joshua at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York, delivering AJ his first career defeat with a seventh round TKO. He may have lost his second fight against Joshua, going the distance in Saudi Arabia before the judges scored the bout in the Briton’s favour. However, a recent victory over Chris Arreola resulted in the American moving up to second in the WBC rankings and he would be a good opponent to keep Fury ticking over, if he is made to wait for Joshua.
Luis Ortiz
At 42 years of age, Luis Ortiz is still somehow going in the heavyweight division, last seen knocking out fellow American Alexander Flores in the first round at the Microsoft Theater is Los Angeles. Currently ranked seventh by the WBC, the Cuban, whose two career defeats have come via being knocked out by Wilder, shouldn’t pose too much of a threat to Fury, especially at the ripe age of 42. However, that might not necessarily be a bad thing, as The Gypsy King would have one eye on Joshua anyway!
James Pierce
Author
Emily Sanchez
Reviewer
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