Tyson Fury will have the added option of stepping away from boxing as the search for a WBC title defense in 2023 continues.
World Boxing News looks at all the considerations on the table for “The Gypsy King” following the collapse of a clash with Oleksandr Usyk.
A lowball offer from Fury and an even split of a rematch, even if Usyk wins, was enough to kill the undisputed battle stone dead.
What’s next for Tyson Fury?
However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says the pair could fight in December instead.
Fury is known for not waiting around to look if he gets bored, though. He usually is quick on the draw when hanging up his gloves.
Waiting until the end of the year won’t be an ideal scenario for Fury. Therefore, if he does stick around, a summer bout in the United Kingdom looks likely.
So, what are the choices for Fury if he wants to defend his WBC heavyweight title?
Based on the new World Boxing Council heavyweight rankings released on April 9, Fury has a plethora to select from.
Going through the top fifteen from the summit to the bottom gives an idea of just how many of the fifteen are available.
Fury’s WBC options
Top-ranted Deontay Wilder is not an option in theory due to having fought Fury three times already. However, they did share a Fight of the Year in 2021 and would certainly make big money if they did it again.
Wilder has so far ignored a WBC final eliminator with number two Andy Ruiz Jr. sanctioned by the WBC. That’s probably because Wilder knows that if the Fury fight is going to happen, he doesn’t need to beat Ruiz first.
The same goes for Andy, who Fury could easily select for a title defense solely at the champion’s discretion. It’s a matter of how hard a challenge Tyson Fury wants to take on.
At three is Anthony Joshua. Talks have broken down between the pair twice already. AJ has since announced his next fight for December.
Next up is Frank Sanchez. The Cuban recently won on the Shakur Stevenson undercard and is available for the summer.
Canadian-Russian giant Arslanbek Makhmudov would be a dangerous option for Fury but is also open to offers. Traveling to the UK would be no problem, as Eye of the Tiger management previously told World Boxing News.
Sixth in the ratings is Dillian Whyte, who Fury demolished in 2022. Number seven, Martin Bakole, could be plucked out of thin air but would be a leftfield alternative due to his British links.
Zhan Kossobutskiy, Kazakhstan’s big heavyweight title hope, may be too green for Fury. He’s still learning his trade after winning a gold medal at the Olympics.
Wallin rematch
A rematch with Otto Wallin seems like the perfect choice. Fury constantly has to deal with complaints that he won on points when suffering a cut against Wallin in Las Vegas. Many detractors think Fury should have been stopped on the gash. Fury could shut people up and have a valid reason for that fight.
Fury’s friend Joseph Parker would not be chosen despite being ranked tenth. The same goes for Jared Anderson, despite being America’s next big heavyweight hope.
Anderson, a sparring partner of Fury, is likely to be built up for a big fight with Wilder in 2024.
Agit Kabayel, Luis Ortiz, and Efe Ajagba take the next three spots. All three would be right up Fury’s street.
Finally, fifteen-rated Filip Hrgovic is going down the IBF route and would not want to face Fury when he could go an alternative path.
