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Tyson Fury Should Take Heed of Joshua and Whyte’s Cautionary Tales

If you’re a boxing fan and currently scratching your head trying to figure out who Tyson Fury will be fighting over the winter, take comfort, you’re not alone. Fury’s upcoming bout with Deontay Wilder looks all but dead in the water despite the American insisting it will still go ahead. It does feel like Wilder is clutching at straws even though the two heavyweights do have a contract in place that legally binds them to fight each other.

Wilder’s moving of the goalposts seems to have been the beginning of the end for a trilogy fight in December with Fury telling the world it won’t happen in 2020. Whether it happens at all remains to be seen, there are many moving parts to this story and it wouldn’t be boxing without a few false narratives being peddled about. With that being said, the one about Wilder trying to buy himself some extra time to master a game plan that will enable him to beat Fury is most plausible.

Until that day comes though, Fury won’t stay inactive and is in the midst of trying to find an opponent for a December showdown. Carlos Takam seems the most likely choice at this stage with the 39-year-old Cameroonian heavyweight said to be very keen on the idea of a blockbuster fight with Fury.

It could in many respects be the payday that sees Takam ride off into the sunsets after enjoying a career that has favored flair more than it has substance, especially once he had earned himself a world-title fight. That’s not to say that Takam is an easy man to fight or doesn’t have a very respectable career record. Far from it actually, he has fought 39 times and has only been beaten on five occasions.

However, when it counted though, the Cameroonian wasn’t able to take his chance on the biggest stage. This could be why Fury’s camp sees the 39-year-old as a safe option but there are many cautionary tales for Fury to draw on if he is feeling in the slightest bit complacent. Indeed, it was only back in 2019 that Anthony Joshua lost to Andy Ruz Jr during a stopgap fight for the Englishman. There is an even more recent example from 2020 when Dillian Whyte admirably decided to take a fight with Alexander Povetkin when he was assured of a world-title shot only a few months later.

In a stunning turn of events, Povetkin capitalized on his chance by knocking Whyte out and simultaneously trampled all over the Englishman’s world-title hopes. Of course, Whyte has the chance to avenge himself and get his career back on track when they two go head-to-head in a rematch in November. But the odds on this bout in the latest boxing betting have changed since their first fight, Povetkin had been at odds of +300 but now comes in at +200. Only time will tell if the reality matches the expectation, but it is clear that Whyte will not back down easily.


The seed of doubt has been sowed and that’s where any potential problems for Whyte will be borne out of.
Now, Fury could end up in the same boat if he sees his Christmas bout with Takam as a festive party. The heavyweight division is currently awash with stories of upsets so there really is no excuse should the unthinkable happens and Takam beats Fury.