By: Sean Crose
It’s gone down as being one of the more boring fights of the heavyweight division – and that, frankly, is saying something. Having just gotten over the disappointment that was 2015’s Floyd Mayweather – Manny Pacquiao bout, fans were treated that November to heavyweight honcho Wladimir Klitschko’s title defense against brash Englishman Tyson Fury. Klitschko was the favorite walking in, but it was Fury who won the day through slick defensive fighting that many found insufferable. Although Fury moved on to a very colorful career in the upper reaches of the heavyweight division, it’s hard to picture the Klitschko fight being on anyone’s list of best Tyson Fury fights.
Enter one Turki Alalshikh. The Saudi sports kingpin has literally changed the geography of the sport of boxing in a very short amount of time. Fights that were once expected to go down in the United States of Europe are now happening in Saudi Arabia. Give Alalshikh this – the guy truly loves boxing. With that being said, the man had some interesting news for the fight world on Thursday: He wouldn’t mind seeing Fury and Klitschko go at it again. “The result of Tyson and Usyk,” Alalshikh said on Ariel Helwani’s show.” A lot of people are waiting for them. One of them is Dubois. Another is Joshua. At the same time, there is a third person.”
And that “third person” is the former longtime heavyweight knockout artist. “I am dreaming,” he continued, “of seeing this fight to give a chance, if he accepts, for Klitschko to be the oldest heavyweight champion ever.” People may not be over the moon about the possibility of a rematch, but there is an interesting element here. For one thing, both men are considerably older than they were the first fight – especially Klitschko. Fury is now 36 while Klitschko is currently 48 – quite an advanced age for a professional boxer. What’s more, Fury has been in some wars since he first faced Klitschko. Such things take their toll on a fighter. How would the wear and tear of years and combat impact a Fury-Klitschko rematch?
Klitschko has spent a long time out of the ring.. Indeed his last fight was a thrilling 2017 comeback attempt against then world titlist Anthony Joshua. That’s not as long as the nearly 20 year break Mike Tyson took before his ill-fated battle with Jake Paul, but it’s still a long – a very long – time in between professional fights. Boxing is a dangerous sport, and it becomes even more dangerous with age.
Something else to consider.
