Tyson Fury continues to take heat from fans over his performance in defending the honor of the sport against a UFC outsider.
“The Gypsy King” was taken the distance and dropped by Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia. The WBC champion was a massive favorite to win, with Ngannou at odds of +1000.
However, Ngannou gave Fury kittens despite being ripped apart in the build-up. Fury stated Ngannou would be no challenge and that he was merely ‘a sausage‘ who had no chance.
Since that fateful night, even boxing fans are now labeling Fury as the ‘sausage’ as his career at the helm hangs in the balance.
@Tyson_Fury was a sausage and a dosser
— Phil777 (@PhilHK747) October 30, 2023
Before Ngannou, Fury was mentioned in the same breath as the best heavyweights who ever laced up gloves. This is no longer the case, as Fury looked mediocre at best.
Three fights against Deontay Wilder are being blamed for the decline of Fury, who is due to face the best top-division fighter in the world next, Oleksandr Usyk.
Having dealt with Wilder so viciously in their last two bouts, Fury has taken his foot off the gas. Being dropped four times by “The Bronze Bomber” now seems to have played a part.
Tyson Fury warned about Ngannou
However, there’s a notion in play that Fury didn’t train appropriately despite coach Sugarhill Steward announcing the opposite during fight week.
“To be honest, it has probably been one of the toughest training camps because we don’t know what to expect,” said Steward.
“He [Ngannou] has come in from UFC, but he has been fighting his whole life. It is like entering an amateur tournament where you don’t know who you will fight next or what style.
“It is pretty much impossible to train for that kind of a fight. You have to train to be your best and be as sharp as you can be. That is what we’ve prepared for, to be sharp and to expect everything.”
Those words should have been a warning to all boxing fans who sat down, ordered the Pay Per View, and then watched in horror as boxing opened the door to MMA challengers.
Fury was the gatekeeper. But he failed to halt what will surely be an influx of former UFC stars believing they can do similar to Ngannou.
Floyd Mayweather dealt with Conor McGregor so majestically, even carrying him for rounds before his eventual humiliation. In contrast, Fury was having kittens against a novice.
The bravado from Fury will probably continue. However – this time, fewer fans will believe his dominance as Usyk licks his lips at the prospect of becoming undisputed.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of experienced boxing writer Phil Jay.
