Not a pity: Oleksandr Usyk fights a prospect in Poland and Tyson Fury fights a mixed martial artist in the desert

IT could have been beautiful. They might even have been happy.

Instead, heavyweights Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury got cold feet, couldn’t show up at church, and spent the next few weeks wallowing in sadness and finding warmth in any flesh. sad, sagging that they can find. Now, as expected, and months after they last spoke, the pair are returning to the world with new partners in their arms, none of whom seem like their usual type.

On August 26, in Wrocław, Poland, Usyk will attempt to manipulate and in turn educate Daniel Dubois, a 25-year-old, much younger novice with a token belt, while Fury, on October 28 in Saudi Arabia, there will be a desert mess with Francis Ngannou, a 36-year-old mixed martial artist who will be relieved not to have to worry about defense taking down but still being a complete boxing rookie. (Ngannou in boxing is so rudimentary, in fact, he makes Dubois look like Larry Holmes.)

In two battles, Usyk vs. Dubois is by far easier to understand. For one, it’s a real boxing match between two boxers, which helps. It was also a fight between Usyk and a man in Dubois who, although rudimentary and still with a lot of learning, possessed ample punch power and weighed 6’5 and 240 pounds, a certified weight. . It is true that he has found his “regular” WBA title to be both a blessing and a curse, but this is a fight that, by WBA rules, he clearly deserves and must. arrive. In that sense, he did nothing wrong to accept it and get over it on August 26th. In fact, when so many boxers today seek to evade dangerous fights to protect themselves, then Dubois should be praised for this showing bravery rather than criticized for it. That he seemed too inexperienced to stand a chance of winning the war was neither here nor there as far as he feared. Unlike his critics, he won’t think in those terms. Furthermore, he is young enough to learn from whatever lessons he may be taught in Poland and back, perhaps then his second title will be better.

That is if he is even lacking, of course. It’s boxing, and especially heavyweight boxing, there’s every chance Dubois can mock our fears for him next month and achieve the unthinkable by dethroning Usyk, 20-0 (13). Strange things have happened, about that there is no question.

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity and I’m ready to take it with both hands,” Dubois said during Monday’s match announcement press conference. “This has been going on for a long time and I am ready to take on it. Usyk is a great champion, but everything that has a beginning has an end. I am ready.”

Meanwhile, for Usyk, the prospect of fighting someone like Dubois in Poland represents a break from the norm. Whereas in the previous two fights against Anthony Joshua, Usyk would have felt a lot like he was boxing from an away corner, and in foreign territory, here he is facing a home match. – well, almost – in every sense. Finally, it seems that after years of traveling the world and having to silence the crowd and despite all the difficulties, Usyk has the right conditions to plunge into a war.

“We don’t overlook Daniel Dubois,” Usyk’s manager, Egis Klimas, said, “and don’t think we’ll go for a walk in the park. We know he’s big, strong, he can punch and we’re 100% prepared for that.

“We have a future to unify titles. This fight takes us to one of the biggest fights in boxing history. But we do not look (him). All we see is Daniel Dubois. We eat breakfast, we think about Daniel Dubois. We go to bed, we think about Daniel Dubois. Everything is just about him. On August 26, my man (Usyk) will show them.”

Daniel Dubois with the “regular” WBA heavyweight title

If nothing else, at least it seems Usyk is aware of the importance of this war in the grand scheme of things. That’s not to say Dubois can’t make himself important on August 26, but certainly, at the moment, it’s hard to ignore the feeling that Usyk vs. Dubois is a fight simply out of the way rather than indulging.

Of course, much of the reason for this feeling has to do with Usyk and Fury’s complete inability to face the reality of a short career and understand the concept of a small chance. If either of them were more aware of those two, the battle between them would be ready by now, or if not now, perhaps in the fall or winter. When that happens, not only will Usyk be busy in August, but Fury will also have a lined-up fight in late October, meaning he’s done his business well this year (publicity). business means a single outing, by the way).

In fact, just today, there have been rumors for weeks, that Fury, 33-0-1 (24), will be competing in boxing with Francis Ngannou, a mixed martial artist best known for dethroning Stipe Miocic to win the championship. The UFC welterweight title in 2021. The fight will take place “in a boxing ring regulated by the official rules of professional boxing, with three extra referees applying a 10-point system,” like like Fury’s final fight with Derek Chisora, a fight no one asked for or, for that matter, needs to see. However, it will take place regardless and do so because both boxers can make an outrageous amount of money out of it.

Furthermore, according to a press release, they “promise to meet in the middle of the ring, engage, and win by knockout in a devastating fashion.”

Then how lucky we are.

Tyson Fury hugs and kisses Derek Chisora ​​after stopping him for 10 rounds (Mikey Williams / Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)

Allegedly all done, this fight took place on October 28, as an agreement was reached with Queensberry, Top Rank and Ngannou’s promotional banner, GIMIK Fight Promotions, to partner with Riyadh Season to organize events. But it’s all just words, of course. The reality the reason the war took place in October was because it could happen without any consequences or danger.

Fury, a master in the art of attracting and attracting attention, knows exactly what he’s doing with this. After all, this is not his first circus event. Not only that, in a world of clowns, it’s hard to blame Fury, who turns 35 next month, for wanting to be the richest of the clowns.

Indeed, if it’s anyone’s, the serious responsibility in this case rests entirely with boxing and especially the WBC, the only sanctioning body to call Tyson Fury their heavyweight champion. Now it’s up to them to remove the red noses, wipe the paint off their faces and step over elephant shit to guide the heavy-jumping monocycle back to the track. Until then, we can only watch him stagger and hold our breath waiting for the worst.