By: Sean Crose
It wasn’t all that long ago when lineal heavyweight champion of the world Tyson Fury was a true mess. Consumed by mental illness, food, drugs and alcohol, the man dropped out of his rematch with Wladimir Klitschko, the former long reigning king of the heavyweight division, then seemed to slip into the abyss. This was Tyson Fury, however, and so it shouldn’t have been a total surprise when the man returned mentally rejuvenated, honest about his demons, and willing to once again rise to the top of the heavyweight division. Perhaps it should have been less of a surprise when the fighter known as the “Gypsy King” regained the lineal crown, along with the WBC heavyweight title, by stopping Deontay Wilder in 2020.
With that all being said, it sadly should be no shock to learn that people are suspicious now that Fury has reportedly gotten Covid, his scheduled third fight with Wilder subsequently pushed back to July. As Alcoholics Anonymous teaches its members – you can’t fault those you’ve wronged for not entirely trusting you in the present, even if you’ve truly changed for the better. Fury has a history of erratic behavior, and personal histories are tough things to wash away.
On top of the all that, of course, is the fact that Fury-Wilder 3 has been one of the strangest events in the recent very strange history of boxing – and the opening bell is still weeks away from sounding. First came the pandemic, then came news that Fury was fighting Anthony Joshua in August, then came news that an arbitrator said Fury had to fight Wilder again by September, then came the official Fury-Wilder 3 announcement. Oh, and let’s not forget Wilder’s own over the top behavior throughout all this. Strange times call for raised eyebrows, and this is a very strange time in the heavyweight division.
So no one should be stunned by reports of Fury popping up in places where Covid patients shouldn’t be popping up. Nor should anyone be taken aback to learn many out there feel Fury is simply trying to get out of fighting Wilder again. In truth, it would seem strange if this whole thing were somehow taken at face value. This is in no way stating that Fury isn’t being above board throughout this drama. It’s just stating that drama seems to follow the endless lead up to this fight around…and it’s only natural for people to not know what to make of it.