By: Sean Crose
Ring announcer Michael Buffer has been around boxing a long time. So famous is his pre-fight tagline: “Let’s get ready to rumble!” that it is now a part of the lexicons of much of the planet. Although not a fighter himself, the man carries weight – not physical weight, but weight of opinion. Therefore, when Buffer weighs in on ring related news, people take notice. And Buffer’s recent interview with “Behind the Gloves” is nothing if not worth noting. After discussing a litany of boxing related matters, Buffer addressed the fallout from the collapse of the highly anticipated Tyson Fury – Anthony Joshua fight.
“Well, the one fight I was looking forward to of course was AJ and Tyson Fury,” he said. “That’s just not going to happen.” The man behind the famous voice added that “It’s a fight that has to be made.” Fury-Joshua was a fans’ dreams that nearly became a realty before an arbiter ruled Fury had to face Wilder a third time by September (Wilder-Fury 3 was subsequently set for this summer). “Remember,” said Buffer, “Mayweather and Pacquiao probably was three years past its prime time that we all would want to see them fight.” The man clearly doesn’t want boxing to make the same mistake twice.
“We want to see those two guys fight no matter what,” he said of Joshua and Fury. “Even if they didn’t have titles right now, we’d want to see them fight.” That’s something promoters might not want to hear, as a Joshua-Fury fight was being projected as being for “all the belts.” Still, Buffer makes it clear that he’s happy with the major fights the sport is presenting for fans this summer. “I may even be there for them in the ring,” he said, “but I’m sure as hell going to watch them no matter what.” Buffer also offered promoters a bit of advice. “Price those tickets so the average Joe can see the fight,” he said.
The heavyweight division is in an interesting place right now. After months of negotiation, it looked like Fury and Joshua would fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship in Saudi Arabia in August. Then came the ruling that Fury essentially face Wilder again ASAP. Now, with Wilder-Fury 3 set for this summer, it appears Joshua will face highly touted former undisputed cruiserweight champ Oleksandr Usyk next. Whether or not Fury and Joshua will win their impending bouts remains to be seen. At the moment, however, the crowning of an undisputed heavyweight champion appears to be some time in the future, at least.
*Cover photo from Getty Images