If it walks like a Duck…….Tyson Fury’s Unprecedented Second Refusal to Honor a Rematch with Wlaidmir Klitschko By:Ronald Neal Goldman
The first explanation of Tyson Fury reneging on his rematch with Klitschko on July 9 was a sprained ankle, or as those of gender reassignment aspire to, but are unable to achieve, the ability to grow a pair, as it were. Admittedly, athletes in particular, who engage in contact sports, are prone to injuries. With Fury’s ankle issue there wasn’t and, rightfully so, any suggestion of incredulity, it happens; a second cancellation, however, due to being medically unfit stretches the boundaries of believability. Considering Fury’s questionable histrionics in and outside the ring, a more apt term for Tyson’s abstention might be mentally unfit. The English heavyweight’s disturbingly brash challenge to Deontay Wilder following one of Wilder’s impressive wins, was perceived by many as a tad more than merely a ploy to sell tickets for a Wilder-Fury bout; he was, it seemed to this observer, on the path to what appeared to be an meltdown, emotional or psychological, Dr. Phil, are you there? There is, as well, Tyson Fury’s pathetic imitation of Mel Gibson’s latest hits: how “Zionist, Jewish people …own all the banks, all the papers, all the TV stations, Mr. Fury’s homophobic proclivities, notwithstanding.
Clearly, Wlaidmir Klitschko lost his bout with Fury, though it wasn’t a question of why Fury was at his best, but why the K2 heavyweight, seemingly, was at his worst. Problems at home which, in turn, I believe compromised his focus during the heavyweight title match. Married to Nashville actress, Hayden Panettiere with their first child, the actress was known to have experienced postpartum depression, an intriguing scenario as her character in Nashville, Juliette Bares, suffered the identical crises on the TV drama, talking about life imitating art.
Had the Ukrainian strong man reached and passed his prime in his fight with Fury, perhaps, but in the KO fashion that “Dr. Steelhammer” had dispersed with many of his opponents I think not. Something was amiss in his fight with Tyson Fury and the sad part is that we’ll never know if the reason that the second match is not going to happen is whether it’s Tyson’s inability to get it together, or a belief that their first and, what appears to be their only, fight was fluke catching Vitali’s younger brother on an off night. Probably the latter.