The Biggest Heavyweight Fight That Can Be Made Just Got Made

Every boxing fan (including me) lost their fucking mind when welterweights Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr announced they were going to fight earlier this year.

Al Bello. Getty Images.

The fight happened in July, it was a lopsided victory for Bud, and now nobody is excited about their proposed rematch.

Fast forward to today, and we get the announcement that the two greatest heavyweights in the world, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are going to fight in February, and I am about to lose my fucking mind once again in anticipation. 

And before you casual meatheads/MMA fans say "Two greatest heavyweights in the world?… What about Ngannou?", just pump your brakes.  Francis put on a fucking valiant performance after losing in a decision to Fury last month, but one knockdown (no matter how spectacular it seemed at the time) does not make you a contender.  

Justin Setterfield. Getty Images.

I hope Ngannou continues to box, and I hope he fights for a belt someday, but I don't think he deserves a rematch right away.  There were a ton of fighters who deserved that first fight before he got that shot, and I also don't think he would fare as well in any potential Fury vs Ngannou Part II.  So let's move on to what is actually happening.

Here's what we know so far:

- Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will fight for the Undisputed Heavyweight championship in Saudi Arabia on February 17th, 2024.

- Lennox Lewis was the last "undisputed" heavyweight champ WAAAAY back in 1999, but that was in the 3 belt era… Meaning, for the first time in history, two heavyweights are fighting for the undisputed title with 4 belts on the line: the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organization (WBO), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) straps will all be on the line.

- Both fighters are undefeated coming into the fight.  They are similar in age (Fury is 35 and Usyk is 36).  Fury is a much bigger man, listed at 6'9" versus Usyk's 6'3", but Usyk is a fucking psychopath and an elite boxer, who could officially push Evander Holyfield's name off the title of "Greatest Cruiserweight To Ever Step Up To Heavy" with a win against Tyson.

I love both fighters, but I am leaning toward Fury right now because I think his lackluster performance against Ngannou will give me the best odds before bookmakers come to their senses, but I am going to pick this thing apart like the fucking Zapruder film before February rolls around.  And I am seriously thinking about checking Saudi Arabia's policy on pornographic internet history because I don't want to land in Riyadh and have my hands chopped off as I go through customs because I accidentally wandered onto a "chicks with dicks" website on the flight over.

The full undercard has yet to be announced, but I am hearing good things, and I'll be back as more details come in.

Take a report.

-Large

Popular in the Community