WBO, WBC, WBA and IBF gold all up for grabs
Wednesday 20 January 2016 08:53, UK
Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder’s chest-beating antics in New York on Saturday night gave us an insight into a new, exciting battle to become the world’s most fearsome heavyweight.
Although Wladimir Klitschko will quietly be running an extra mile on the treadmill somewhere in the Austrian mountains to keep himself in the conversation, all roads lead to a Fury v Wilder unification fight to decide who is boss.
But with Anthony Joshua blasting his way up the ladder and David Haye proving impossible to ignore, Sky Sports have considered what lies ahead for the major title belts.
Even if you are as eccentric as Fury, you do not fly to America and invade a ring occupied by Wilder's mob unless you are serious about wanting to fight. As it stands, defeating the great Klitschko back in November puts Fury in the driver's seat in terms of establishing himself as the world's true champion. However much he dreams of unifying the division, a rematch with Klitschko (64-4-KO53) will be the first defence of his new belts.
The 39-year-old Ukrainian's legs aren't getting any lighter so Fury could be forgiven for positioning himself as the fulcrum of the heavyweight division with options aplenty. He is adamant that he won't give Haye the time of day after two previous fights were cancelled - his moral stance is likely to be tested when the smell of money is combined with his rival's provocation.
To cement his position at the top of the mountain Fury may need to reclaim the IBF belt that was stripped from him for deciding to accept a rematch with Klitschko rather than face mandatory challenger Vyacheslav Glazkov. New champion Charles Martin, whose 23-0-1-KO21 record almost mirrors Fury's, could be preyed upon. Watching last Saturday's IBF title fight end in victory for Martin after Glazkov's injury, Tony Bellew told Sky Sports that Fury could beat both men in one night.
Exorcising the demons of Glazkov (21-1-1-KO13), who he ignored and lost his IBF title as a result, will have to wait for Fury because of the Ukrainian's serious knee injury. Instead, the Lancashire colossus could further his Stateside profile by boxing Martin in America, adding the IBF belt to his waistline, and upping the stakes for a date with Wilder.
The Alabamanian showed frailties in last weekend's victory over Artur Szpilka before uncorking the sort of terrifying one-punch knockout that seems beyond Fury's skill-set. That alone makes him an imposing champion to dethrone but there are enough chinks in his armour for contenders to be warily confident.
Wilder has claimed that he will travel to England to teach Fury a lesson but the WBC title-holder first has business to attend to. Alexander Povetkin (30-1-KO22), the 36-year-old Russian, is his mandatory challenger and sat silently at ringside last Saturday while Fury typically stormed into the ring to confront Wilder. Povetkin's steely silence came with the knowledge that his crack at the belt is already assured and his team have vocally criticised the American champion's latest performance. A sticking point is already emerging, however, with Wilder's assertions that Russia is "too cold" to host their fight while the veteran Povetkin is loath to fight outside of Europe for the first time.
Look slightly beyond No 1 contender Povetkin on the WBC rankings and Joshua's name bursts off the page. He won't rush into fighting Wilder in the short-term but how can England and America's most vicious knockout artists avoid each other forever? Wilder-Joshua has the potential to evoke memories of punches being traded by legendary champions of the 1990s.
The prospect of targeting IBF champion Martin must also appeal to Wilder. It would be the first all-American heavyweight unification clash since Evander Holyfield v Michael Moorer in 1997, and would set up Fury v Wilder with two titles apiece.
Unless the newest world champion's reign starts with a bang, Martin could soon find himself as the sitting duck in boxing's glamour division. He was first the beneficiary of Fury getting stripped of the IBF belt (he wasn't next in line, anyway, but fought for the vacant title) then benefitted further as last weekend's opponent Glazkov collapsed injured inside three rounds.
The big man from Missouri is 29 years old but, lacking any major scalps so far, is likely to want to pad out his record before chasing grander prizes. He told Sky Sports that England's Dereck Chisora could be in his sights but other Brits will be licking their lips at the sight of the IBF belt draped over his shoulder.
Joshua (15-0-KO15), ranked No 5 with the organisation, becomes the highest rated fighter available for the next challenge. That doesn't guarantee his chance, but the Olympic gold medal winner will surely keep an eye on Martin's progress with sights set firmly on the IBF champion's chin.
A twist in the tale could be Joseph Parker, the undefeated 17-0-KO15 phenomenon emerging out of New Zealand who has wrecked a path similar to Joshua's. Aged just 24, Parker is ranked No 7 with the IBF but, like Joshua, much will depend upon how quickly he wants to progress. The Kiwi has fired the first shot, saying new champion Martin isn't "anything special".
The championship that once belonged to Haye had seemingly left him behind yet could represent the Londoner's route back to the summit of heavyweight boxing. A knockout of Mark de Mori, however sharp he looked, won't be sufficient to earn 35-year-old Haye (27-2-KO25) a shot at anything but his old WBA belt could be a legitimate goal, especially while it's held by someone two years his senior. This route would test the longevity of Haye's comeback, but reclaiming the belt would result in him and Fury both owning versions of the WBA championship. If that's not a logical unifier, what is?
Before those hypotheticals can be played out, Uzbekistan's Chagaev will defend the title that he won a year ago against Australia's Lucas Browne (23-0-KO20). Even Browne is a year older than Haye, and the Ricky Hatton-trained puncher's English base could keep Haye sniffing around.
